Saint-Etienne – Brest

Saint-Etienne have conceded ten goals in their last two games. How will he play against Brest?

Saint-Etienne continue to struggle for survival and are in a very precarious position. The Greens are currently in 18th place, which could send the team into a tie with a Ligue 2 club. Outsiders are coming up from behind. Bordeaux are just one point behind, with Metz four points behind. They live in the direct relegation zone. Just above Saint-Etienne are clubs that seem to be safe, but could quickly drop down. Clermont are one point higher, Lorient four. Brest might feel safer, sitting in 12th place, with no particular claim to higher positions, but it is also far from the danger zone. They have a 12-point lead over Saint-Etienne. In such circumstances, Brest might have had a sloppy attitude to the matches, but they show good spirit and results. They beat Montpellier 2-1 away the previous round, and drew 1-1 with Nantes. Therefore, even with the more tournament-motivated opponents, Brest will fight with full dedication. On the other hand, Saint-Etienne, after a good series without defeat in recent rounds, got despondent. Last weekend they lost 2-4 to Marseille, and last season they were thrashed by direct rivals Lorient - 2-6. Two goals scored is not bad for an outsider, but ten conceded in two matches is too much. And there are few prerequisites to rectify the situation. Saint-Etienne have quite a lot of losses in the squad and players whose participation in the match is questionable. They are Sow, Sako, Neuu, Amouma, Sissoko, Crivelli, Macon and Kamara. Brest have Satriano suspended and Sibua injured. There are no more losses. So the main attacking forces of both teams should be in action. Saint-Etienne have Hazri and Bouanga, while Brest have Honora and Munier. Hazri has nine goals this season, Bouanga has seven and Honore, who stands out for Brest, has ten. Brest beat Saint-Etienne 1-0 at home in their first round match. He has beaten the Greens in their last four games in a row, with three of them coming by three goals or more. In recent matches, we can see that St Etienne's attack has improved, but there are still plenty of problems with defence. On home soil, the Greens have won three matches and lost seven with six draws, while Brest have won five away matches, lost six times and seen five draws.