Angers welcome Strasbourg to the Raymond Kopa Stadium on Wednesday evening as both sides aim to extend their three-game unbeaten runs.
This Ligue 1 clash pits seventh against 16th after contrasting starts to the new campaign has left the sides with differing ambitions for the remainder of the season.
Match preview
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Seven points from their last three games, including two consecutive clean sheets, has seen Stephane Moulin's men join Monaco on 23 points from their opening 14 league matches.
After a mid-table finish in the curtailed 2019-20 campaign, Angers now have their sights set on a European place, and a midweek win would help them keep pace with the leading pack.
Defensive issues had plagued Les Noirs et Blancs earlier in the season after conceding six to Paris Saint-Germain, four to Montpellier and three to Nice, but they seem to have turned a corner in that department over recent weeks.
Shutouts against Lorient and Saint-Etienne, respectively, will give Angers confidence going into this one.
Strasbourg have elevated themselves out of the relegation zone after picking up five points from their last three games, including an impressive 4-0 away victory over Nantes.
Thierry Laurey's side are only above the bottom three on goal difference, and that is largely down to their attacking prowess.
Twenty goals so far in Ligue 1 means they have scored the same amount as their upcoming opponents and one more than Andre Villas-Boas's Marseille, who currently occupy fourth place.
The 26 efforts conceded at the other end, however, means Les Coureurs have the second-worst defensive record with Nimes the only top-flight side to have leaked more goals.
Strasbourg have travelled well this season, though, with two of their three league wins coming on the road in 2020-21. They will be hoping for another successful away day to ease their relegation fears.
Angers Ligue 1 form: LWLWWD
Strasbourg Ligue 1 form: LLLDWD
Team News
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Young left-back Enzo Ebosse continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury picked up in October and will be absent for several more months.
Midfielder Ibrahim Amadou missed the draw at Saint-Etienne with a hamstring problem but could be in line to return to action in this one, while former Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal is not expected to be fit enough to make his come back for a few more weeks.
Centre-forward Lebo Mothiba remains unavailable due to a long-term knee injury and is not scheduled to return to the side until the new year.
Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Matz Sels has established himself as the number one shot-stopper at Strasbourg since making the move in 2018, but a ruptured Achilles tendon means he is set for a prolonged period on the treatment table.
Summer signing Habib Diallo has been in good form since arriving in the summer. His four league goals and two assists have kept his new side off the foot of the table, and the Senegal international could have a big part to play once again on Wednesday.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Bamba, Traore, Thomas, Doumbia; Mangani, Bobichon; Lage, Fulgini, Capelle; Bahoken
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Kawashima; Lala, Simakan, Djiku, Caci; Sissoko, Lienhard; Diallo, Thomasson, Chahiri; Ajorque
We say: Angers 2-1 Strasbourg
Both sides come into this encounter in good form and will believe that they can get something from the match. Strasbourg travel well, but Angers should just have too much for them on this occasion.
Top betting tip
George Cannon
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 38.42%. A win for Strasbourg had a probability of 34.38% and a draw had a probability of 27.2%.
The most likely scoreline for an Angers win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.84%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.22%) and 2-0 (6.91%). The likeliest Strasbourg win was 0-1 (10.12%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.89%). The actual scoreline of 0-2 was predicted with a 6% likelihood.
