Preview: Clermont vs. Strasbourg – prediction, team news
Sports Mole preview Wednesday’s Ligue 1 clash between Clermont and Strasbourg, including predictions, team news and possible line-ups.
Clermont will welcome Strasbourg at the Stade Gabriel Montpied for their Ligue 1 match on Wednesday evening.
The Lancers have won just one of their last seven home games in the top flight, while the visitors have won all three points in just one of their last five road games.
Match preview
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Clermont followed up their 1-0 league win away to Angers with a comfortable 4-0 win over seventh division side JS Chemin Bas d’Avignon in the Coupe de France third round last weekend .
Two penalties converted either side of the half by Jordan Say as well as strikes Saif Eddine-Khaoui and Jonathan Iglesias helped the visitors book their place in the round of 16 for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
Pascal GastienThe side now look to Wednesday’s Ligue 1 clash against a Strasbourg side they haven’t locked horns with since February 2017, when they won 2-0 away.
The Lancers, enjoying their first-ever season in the top flight, could move up to 15th in the table and five points clear of the relegation zone if they secure all three points in midweek.
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For the fifth time in six seasons, Strasbourg came out of the third round of the Coupe de France after beating Valenciennes 1-0 away last weekend.
Habib DialloThe 15th-minute strike was enough to set up a fourth-round tie with Montpellier, who knocked them out of the competition last season.
Julien StephanThe squad head into Wednesday’s Ligue 1 fixture with Clermont having lost just one of their last eight games in all competitions, a 2-0 home loss to Marseille in their last game of championship.
Since their promotion to the top flight in 2017-18, Les Bleu et Blancs have lost a total of nine games against promoted teams, more than any other side in that period.
Strasbourg currently sit seventh in the table but could move up two places and into the European positions if they can claim their eighth league win of the season by midweek.
Clermont Ligue 1 form:
Clermont form (all competitions):
Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:
Strasbourg form (all competitions):
Team News
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Clermont must do without several players due to injury, including Jason Berthomier, Pierre-Yves Hamel and Cedric Hountondji who all suffer from groin problems.
Jim Allevinah (foot), Jean-Claude Billong (ankle), Josee Albert (calf) and Oriol Busquets (calf) are also recovering in the treatment room.
Striker Mohammad Bayo, who is Ligue 1’s second top scorer with nine strikes to his name, is expected to lead the line and will likely be supported in attack by a creative trio Jodel-Dossou, Iglesias and Elbasan Rashani.
As for Strasbourg, they will be without a central defender Maxime Le Marchand and forward Lebo Mothiba, who suffer back and knee injuries respectively.
Stephan named a relatively strong side for their cup win of the weekend, although players like Matz Salts, Lucas Perrin and Ludovic Ajorque are expected to return to the first XI on Wednesday.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde could start in midfield alongside Adrian Thomasson and Ibrahima Sissoko, while Diallo is on track to keep his place in attack.
Possible starting composition for Clermont:
Djoco; Zedadka, Ogier, Magnin, N’Simba; Gastien, Samed; Rashani, Iglesias, Dossou; bayo
Possible starting line-up from Strasbourg:
salts; Guilbert, Djiku, Nyamsi, Perrin, Caci; Sissoko, Bellegarde, Thomasson; Ajore, Diallo
We say: Clermont 1-2 Strasbourg
With nine points and 11 places separating these two teams ahead of Wednesday’s clash, Strasbourg are seemingly the heavy favorites to secure a win.
Clermont are sure to be in for a fight, although the visitors should do just enough to claim all three points at Stade Gabriel Montpied.
Trick
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