Strasbourg – Angers : Preview & Prediction
Strasbourg’s 2-0 loss to Lille last weekend marked the end of the mission of interim coach Mathieu Le Scornet, who was replaced by Frederic Antonetti this week. At 61, Ligue 1’s oldest coach has only been relegated once in his long career — with Metz last season — and will be more motivated than ever to save Strasbourg, claiming he has “a personal vendetta to take” .
Although complicated, Antonetti’s mission is far from impossible, considering that the Strasbourg team is just one point out of the salvation zone before this matchday and, if successful, his contract will be extended for a year. While Strasbourg picked up their first win of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season against Angers, this fixture is a great opportunity to record their first consecutive home league winning streak this campaign.
Successive draws may have halted the dreadful run of 13 straight defeats for Angers, the current bottom of Ligue 1, but their situation remains complex and that is backed up by the fact that they are nine points away from climbing out of the relegation zone. However, coach Abdel Bouhazama remains positive and says he “still believes”, but the last four Ligue 1 teams that had 10 or fewer points after 23 rounds ended up bottom.
Despite their current run of six clean sheets away from home in Ligue 1 (E1, P5), Angers make this trip after avoiding defeat in their last five visits to Strasbourg in the top flight (G2, E3), with their last loss at the Stade de la Meinau dating back to 1980. They can also look to recent history for inspiration, as Angers defeated Strasbourg via penalty kicks at this very venue in the Coupe de France in early January.
Players to watch: Strasbourg could look to Kévin Gameiro for a good start, as he opened the scoring in 11 minutes in the last two league meetings they have played against this opponent. Angers have their own striker who knows quick starts in Adrien Hunou, who scored within the first 11 minutes in their last two Ligue 1 clashes in which he scored, including the previous clash between these two sides.
Key stat: Strasbourg (27) and Angers (24) are the two Ligue 1 sides to have conceded the most goals before the break.
Strasbourg – Angers : Betting Tips
Strasbourg – Win Odds: 1.85
