Newly-promoted Auxerre will travel to Stade de la Beaujoire to face Nantes on Saturday, aiming to build on their opening day victory in the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season.

The visitors beat Nice 2-1 to kickstart their term, while the visitors held on to a 0-0 draw against Toulouse in the first game of the campaign.

Match preview

Following a dismal 2011-12 campaign that saw Auxerre finish at the bottom of the table with just 34 points, ending their 32-year stay in the top flight, AJA had to wait until the 2021-22 season to finally secure their return to Ligue 1.

Their survival was in their own hands on the final day of 2022-23, sitting two points above the relegation zone with one game left to play, but they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Lens while Nantes won 1-0, consigning Auxerre to relegation.

Auxerre made easy work of Ligue 2 in the following campaign, comfortably placing at the top of the table with a six-point lead over second-placed Angers, bouncing straight back into the top division in their first attempt.

Christophe Pelissier's team had a mixed pre-season ahead of their opening Ligue 1 fixture, winning two, drawing two and losing one of their five friendly matches.

However, they got off to the perfect start in the league, producing a fantastic performance against Nice at home and eventually securing a 2-1 victory thanks to a 95th-minute winner from Lasso Coulibaly.

Pelissier will be aiming to continue the team's positive momentum with a strong performance against Nantes, a side they have shared the spoils with in recent years, winning 11 and losing eight of the last 28 meetings.

Nantes head into this game having narrowly avoided relegation in both of the last two seasons, finishing a point above the drop zone in 2022-23 and four points in 2023-24.

While they will undoubtedly be pleased to have retained their place in the division, those seasons would have come as a major disappointment after finishing ninth and securing Europa League football with a Coupe de France victory in 2021-22.

Antoine Kombouare, who had previously managed Nantes between February 2021 and May 2023, returned to the club in March 2024 after Jocelyn Gourvennec was sacked following 10 losses in 15 league games.

Kombouare failed to improve Nantes's form towards the end of the last campaign, winning just two of the final eight league matches, but they enjoyed a positive pre-season with three wins and two draws from six fixtures.

They faced a difficult trip to Toulouse in their opening Ligue 1 fixture, and despite conceding 1.71xG and creating just 0.47xG, Nantes were able to hold on to a 0-0 draw.

Team News

The hosts will be without Fabien Centonze, due to a cruciate ligament injury that will keep him out until April 2025, Florent Mollet, who is out until September, and Ignatius Ganago, who is out until September with a cruciate ligament injury.

Elsewhere, a similar side that started against Toulouse could feature in this one after a positive result, with the only change potentially seeing Mostafa Mohamed come into the team for Matthis Abline in attack.

The visitors will be unable to call upon the services of Ange N'Gatta, Clement Akpa, Gideon Mensah and Ousmane Camara due to injury issues.

Rayan Raveloson and Coulibaly scored the goals for Auxerre in their victory against Nice, and both could be in line for a start in this one.

Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Coco, Castelletto, Zeze, Amian; Chirivella, Augusto; Thomas, Kadewere, Simon; Mohamed

Auxerre possible starting lineup:
Leon; Joly, Jubal, Osho, Pellenard; Coulibaly, Raveloson, Owusu, Sinayoko; Bair, Onaiwu

We say: Nantes 1-1 Auxerre

Both teams are anticipated to be fighting against relegation this year, leaving them evenly-matched heading into this encounter, and we believe it will end all square.


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