St Etienne vs Auxerre prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-10-04 15:00.
[p]Two of the three promoted teams from last seasonās Ligue 2, Saint-Ćtienne and Auxerre, will lock horns at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Saturday afternoon with both finding the going a lot tougher in the top flight so far. Although Saint-Etienne Ā did come from two goals down to gain a point at Nantes on Sunday and beat Lille 1-0 in their last home match, their four other league games have ended in defeats āto nilā, including a spectacular 8-0 thrashing by Nice in round five.[/p]
[p]Ahead of this gameweek, only Angers, the third of the promoted sides, were below Olivier Dall’Oglioās team, but the arrival of Auxerre could be just the tonic as Les Verts have lost just once at home to Auxerre across 90 minutes since the turn of the century (W5, D7) – and that defeat was way back in September 2006![/p]
[p]Trips to the capital of Loire since then have not all been doom and gloom for Les Ajaistes who will have excellent memories of their 1-1 draw here in the 2021/22 relegation play-off second leg. That stalemate sent the tie into extra-time and subsequently to penalties which saw the visitors triumph, promoting them to Ligue 1 and inflicting relegation on the hosts.[/p]
[p]That was only a one-season stay in the top tier for Auxerre which they then matched with an equally short-term appearance in Ligue 2 which they won by six points. Without a point on the road this season (L3), they could be in for another change of division come May, but do at least travel south for this clash two points above their opponents after a 3-0 win over Brest in round six ended a four-match losing streak.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Midfielder Mathieu Cafaro scored Saint-Ćtienneās opener in the first of the two H2Hs last Ligue 2 season, but couldnāt prevent his side crashing to a 5-2 defeat. His two other H2Hs with Auxerre have ended in 1-0 victories, just as his sideās last home game against Lille did, with Cafaro recording the only goal after six minutes. Striker Ado Onaiwu hit a hat-trick in Novemberās H2H and his away performances so far this season have been eventful. He was sent off in the defeat at Nantes before getting Auxerreās second in their 3-2 loss at Montpellier last month.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Saint-Ćtienne failed to score before half-time in five of their six games in this campaign.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tom Penn[/i][/p]