Angers will be hosting Brest on Sunday as they look to end their seven-match run without a victory as they aim to close the gap between themselves and their opponents.
The visitors head into this place just one place ahead in the table, but they will be looking forward, with the idea of climbing towards the top half.
Match preview
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Angers have had a mixed season so far in Ligue 1, picking up seven victories, eight draws, and 13 losses to this point, leaving them 14th in the table heading into this match.
Their recent form has not been good enough though, having failed to win in their previous seven outings, and four of those matches have seen them not even score a single goal.
The offensive side is something that they need to improve upon within the remaining fixtures, with a -10 goal difference showcasing where they stand on that front.
While the club sit four places above the relegation zone, Angers will be very wary of the fact that there is only three points keeping them out of those positions.
A defeat at the weekend could leave them in an unwanted position, and given that they have lost more games at home than they have won, Gerald Baticle will want to see more from his team.
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This is especially true since Brest have actually performed well on the road throughout this season, winning four times and drawing five, which should give them confidence that they are capable of getting a result.
Their form has been mixed as of late, which is why they sit in the bottom half of Ligue 1, having lost three, won two, and drawn one of their previous six matches.
However, their most recent outing was one that Michel Der Zakarian will be hoping to forget, as his team were comfortably beaten 4-1 by Marseille.
Irvin Cardona managed to score for his team, but that took place in the 91st minute, and by that point, Brest were already three goals down, with the team conceding a fourth immediately after.
Despite that, the club is still in a position to push for a top-half finish this year, as a victory has the potential to take them into 11th place.
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Team News
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Angers will be without Vincent Manceau, as he was sent off last weekend at the end of the game, meaning at least one change shall take place to the starting XI.
However, Mohamed-Ali Cho returned from his own suspension in that match, immediately returning to the team, which is a position he should retain, although Jimmy Cabot is out of action with an injury.
Brendan Chardonnet has been missing for the previous two matches due to his own red card, but he is now available for Brest after serving that ban, and he could be brought back into the fold.
Cardona could be brought in from the first minute after scoring as a substitute last weekend, while Steve Mounie could also be an option to boost their attacking quality, providing a more physical presence.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Petkovic; Ebosse, Thomas, Traore, Mendy; Bentaleb, Mangani; Pereira, Fulgini, Boufal; Cho
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Duverne, Bain, Brassier, Uronen; Honorat, Belkebla, Magnetti, Belaili; Mounie, Satriano
We say: Angers 0-2 Brest
There might not be much between these two teams in the league table, Brest come into this game in better form than their opponents, and they should be able to secure the victory here.
It could be a routine game for them due to the poor manner in which the hosts have been playing recently, which has left them in a difficult position with a threat of relegation.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Angers win with a probability of 43.55%. A win for Brest had a probability of 28.76% and a draw had a probability of 27.7%.
The most likely scoreline for an Angers win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.75%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.56%) and 2-0 (8.42%). The likeliest Brest win was 0-1 (9.83%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.97%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 12.8% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 1-0 win for Angers in this match.
