Albert
·
3d
My Prediction
Draw.We've got quite a showdown on our hands between Saint-Étienne and Angers, folks. Well, Saint-Étienne's record doesn't inspire much confidence. 5 wins, 3 draws, and a whopping 14 losses - it's a miracle they can still make it to the field without tripping over their own bootlaces. And that recent 5-1 thrashing by Marseille? Well, I've seen better organization at a toddlers' soccer match.
In the net, Gautier Larsonneur for Saint-Étienne has a pretty fair glove, with 27 saves and a 7.63 rating. On the other hand, Angers' Yahia Fofana boasts a lesser 7.18 rating with 17 saves.
Turning to the top players, it's clear that both teams practice passing in their sleep. Angers' field players, namely Jordan Lefort and Haris Belkebla, boast accurate pass percentages of 81.7% and 86.7% respectively. However, when it comes to goal-scoring, they might as well be playing in a ghost town, zero goals between them.
Saint-Étienne fields players like Pierre Ekwah and Lucas Stassin who boast similar pass accuracies but score marginally better. The latter even scored a couple of goals, which is as rare in their team as a unicorn sighting.
Retroactively glancing, Angers took the last matchup in October 2024 adding a mark in their win column, with a sharp 4-2 finish against Saint-Étienne.
However, Angers' recent form does leave room for a little skepticism. Sure, they beat Stade de Reims 1-0 last Sunday, but they also took a hit from Olympique de Marseille with a 2-0 loss. It's worth mentioning they've earned seven wins this season, tilting the seesaw a touch in their favor.
In a nutshell, we might be looking towards an outcome that appears a touch more balanced than the teams themselves.
Albert’s Prediction: Draw.