Starting with the hosts, coming under a huge amount of scrutiny last season as they lost their Ligue 1 status, it is no secret that St. Etienne have their sights firmly set on booking an immediate top-flight return this time around. Enjoying what has been a bright start to proceedings, Les Verts open this weekend's fixtures sat in bronze medal position.
Despite securing a much-welcomed 2-1 victory against Annecy last month, Le RAF have lost each of their other three Ligue 2 appearances and they have shown some worrying defensive issues. Including another 2-1 loss agains Amiens on October 25th, Rodez have failed to muster a single clean sheet from any of their previous 10 consecutive appearances across all competitions - a run that stems all the way back to September 12th.
Starting with the hosts, while Boulogne might have made real history as they made their Ligue 2 return this season, it is no secret that Fabien Dagneaux's men are widely regarded as a leading relegation candidate this time around. Getting proceedings underway with a 1-0 defeat away at Nancy on August 15th, the Reds have drastically failed to deal with the leap up in opposition.
Starting with the hosts, left frustrated last season as they eventually had to settle for a downbeat bottom-half finish, Amiens are seeking some crucial stability this time around. Despite getting the 2025/26 campaign underway with a frantic 2-2 stalemate against Reims on August 11th, Omar Duf's side came roaring back last time out. Putting in what was a dominant performance as they cruised their way to a 3-1 romp away at Red Star, the Unicorns will be desperately seeking a repeat display here.
