Preview: Angers vs. Dijon - prediction, team news, lineups

Angers can guarantee they remain in Ligue 1 beyond this season with a victory against Dijon at Stade Raymond Kopa on Sunday.

Despite going winless in their last seven league games, Les Noirs et Blancs remain in a good position, currently 13th in the table, while Dijon are already guaranteed to move into Ligue 2 next season.

Match preview

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Angers boss Stephane Moulin has already announced that he is leaving the club at the end of the season, after a 10-year spell that has including six consecutive years in the French top flight.

The man who began his playing career with this club, making 127 league appearances, would love to give this team the parting gift of a seventh straight season in the top flight.

If they are to win on Sunday, they will need to be more clinical in front of goal, after failing to score in six successive matches in all competitions.

The good news is all they need to do is beat Dijon and they are in the clear as far as relegation is concerned, and that is something they have a good track record of doing in recent years.

Les Noirs et Blancs have won their last four home games against Les Hiboux in this competition, scoring eight times while conceding only twice.

They will want to avoid going a seventh straight league game without a win at home, which would be one shy of their longest such streak when they went winless in eight consecutive top-flight matches from August to December 2017.

With relegation already assured, David Linares and his side have only their pride to play for as they will soon prepare to play in the second tier of French football.

Sitting near the bottom of the table for much of this season, Les Hiboux have become the whipping boys of Ligue 1 in 2020-21, losing seven league games by three or more goals, and are coming off back-to-back 5-1 defeats.

Just scoring a goal away from Stade Gaston Gerard would be an achievement for this team, who have gone without a goal in seven away games this season.

With 18 points in 35 games, Dijon have collected the lowest tally up to this point of a season since Troyes earned just 17 points at this stage in 2015-16.

Team News

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Angers have struggled without striker Rachid Alioui, who has missed most of the season with an unspecified illness after leading the team in scoring in 2019-20.

Alioui, along with midfielder Lassana Coulibaly, will not play in this match, with the latter missing out through suspension.

Ismael Traore scored the lone goal in their last meeting with Dijon, and if he can do it again on Sunday, he could move into a tie with Lois Diony for third-most goals in this Ligue 1 campaign.

Dijon goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe would hope to get a little help from his defence on Sunday, having conceded 15 goals in his last five starts.

Perhaps one positive point for this side from their 5-1 defeat against Metz last weekend was that leading goalscorer Mama Balde found the back of the net for only the second time this year.

Striker Bersant Celina got a red card late in their previous outing and will miss this match as a result, meaning that Jacques Siwe could start in his place.

Angers possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Capelle, Thomas, Traore, Pavlovic, Manceau; Mangani, Taibi, Lage; Diony, Cabot

Dijon possible starting lineup:
Allagbe; Chafik, S. Coulibaly, Muzinga, Panzo, Chala; Ebimbe, Lautoa, Marie; Balde, Siwe

We say: Angers 3-0 Dijon

Angers have won 75% of their Ligue 1 games against Dijon, which is the best such ratio against a top-flight team.

They may be lucky to be in the position they are, but beating Les Hiboux should not be a difficult task given the last-place side have lost their last eight away games in the league by a combined score of 23-7.

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