Auxerre vs St Etienne prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-01-23 19:45.
[p]Each of Auxerre’s last two seasons in Ligue 1 have ended in relegation, and manager Christophe Pélissier admits he is worried “history is repeating itself.” The boss has seen his side sink to within five points of the bottom three after a run of six games without a win (D3, L3), with only 17th-placed Le Havre picking up fewer points during that period.[/p]
[p]Supporters have had little to smile about in recent weeks, especially when considering their side have failed to score in four of those outings. That includes a 2-0 defeat at Angers on Sunday, and history suggests a return to winning ways in this fixture is unlikely, given Auxerre have gone four home games without success (D3, L1) for the first time in the same season since June 2023, a streak that culminated in their relegation to the second tier.[/p]
[p]The hosts may never get a better chance to end that miserable run than against opponents Saint-Étienne, who have conceded a division-high average of 3.22 goals per away game this season. That has contributed to the Greens losing five top-flight matches in a row on the road for the first time since March 2020, while long-suffering fans have not seen their side win on their travels in Ligue 1 since February 2022 (D4, L12). [/p]
[p]Unsurprisingly then, Eirik Horneland’s men sit inside the relegation zone ahead of this round, although there has been a new managerial bounce since he took the reins over the festive period. The Norwegian has picked up four points from his three matches at the helm (W1, D1, L1), the most recent of which was a 1-1 stalemate against Nantes on Sunday, when St Etienne came from behind to avoid defeat for the second time in three matches.[/p]
[p]Key battle: Hamed Traoré has scored seven times since joining Auxerre on loan last summer, with five of those goals serving as the first or last of the game. Trying to stop him from adding to that tally is visiting goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur who has never lost in six previous H2Hs (W5, D1), picking up three clean sheets in the process.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: St Etienne have trailed at the break in a division-high eight of their nine Ligue 1 away matches, losing seven of those fixtures (D1). [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matt Jones[/i][/p]