Preview: Auxerre vs Le Mans - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to record three consecutive home wins, Auxerre welcome newly-promoted Le Mans to Stade de I'Abbe Deschamps for a Ligue 1 contest on Sunday afternoon.

AJA picked up a convincing success at the base of the division's bottom side last time out, whilst Les Sang et Or endured a difficult match at home to top-flight regulars Toulouse.

Match preview

After avoiding the relegation playoff by two points and a single position last season, Auxerre are fighting to dodge a bottom-three battle this time around, hoping to extend their Ligue 1 stay into a fourth campaign.

The early signs were worrying with AJA losing three straight matches at the beginning of this term, however, Sunday's hosts have since won three of their past four top-flight contests to boost the mood of head coach Will Still.

The latest of those successes arrived at Stade CMA Oceane against winless Le Havre last Sunday, when former Porto man Danny Namaso bagged a brilliant brace, bringing his tally of goal contributions up to five across seven league appearances.

Currently leading Namaso in the race for Auxerre's Golden Boot, Southampton loanee Cameron Archer is shining on the Ligue 1 stage, netting four goals during his first five contests in the colours of AJA.

Following September triumphs over Nice (1-0) and Brest (2-1), Auxerre are striving to post three consecutive home wins and boost themselves up the table, with Still's men sitting in 12th spot in the Ligue 1 standings after seven games.

© Iconsport / Emilian Baldow

Rubbing shoulders with Paris 13 Atletico and Villefranche Beaujolais in the third tier of French football as recently as 2025, Le Mans have unsurprisingly struggled since returning to the elite level of France's pyramid.

An encouraging three-match unbeaten run (W1 D2) prior to the international break has been halted by back-to-back defeats for Les Sang et Or, who have conceded three goals to both Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse in October.

Looking to post their maiden victory of the month this weekend, Patrick Videira's men are currently occupying 16th spot in the Ligue 1 standings with six points from seven games, winning just once so far in 2026-27.

Both key parts of Le Mans' promotion-winning campaign in Ligue 2, Louis Mafouta (4) and Adil Bourabaa (3) are the only players to score more than once in the league for Sunday's visitors to Auxerre.

Les Sang et Or are in the midst of a three-game winless run (D1 L2) against AJA, with Le Mans last picking up maximum points from this matchup in August 2012, when the two sides clashed in the second tier of French football.

Auxerre Ligue 1 form:

Le Mans Ligue 1 form:

Team News

© Iconsport / Baptiste Fernandez

Both scheduled for a return after the November international break, Auxerre pair Telli Siwe and Marvin Senaya will not feature this weekend.

Last playing for AJA in May, centre-back Bryan Okoh is targeting a New Year comeback from a serious knee injury.

Signing from Swiss club Lausanne in the summer, Sekou Fofana is yet to make his debut for Auxerre because of a groin problem.

Le Mans are a weakened side currently without the talents of young Algerian Bourabaa, who picked up an ankle injury on international duty earlier this month.

The 21-year-old is expected back in January, joining Erwan Colas and Martin Rossignol in the visitors' medical room.

Auxerre possible starting lineup:

Nardi; Makosso, Tuanzebe, Akpa; Sy, Ahamada, Danois, Oppegard; Faivre, Namaso, Archer

Le Mans possible starting lineup:

Kocik; Sidibe, Yohou, Boisse; Buades, Traore, Bretelle, Vercruysse, Larouci; Gueye, Mafouta

We say: Auxerre 1-0 Le Mans

After back-to-back home wins, Auxerre should make it three on the spin against one of Ligue 1's biggest underdogs this weekend.

Le Mans are struggling without the presence of Bourabaa in midfield and are likely to fall to another defeat on Sunday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.