Preview: Saint-Etienne vs. Lorient - prediction, team news, lineups

Saint-Etienne take on Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with both sides keeping faith with their managers despite testing seasons last time out.

Ultimately, Claude Puel and Christophe Pelissier achieved their respective clubs' primary objectives of avoiding relegation, but they will be hoping for more than that in the coming campaign.

Match preview

© Reuters

That is especially true for former Southampton and Leicester City boss Puel, who many observers felt was lucky to retain his job during a particularly dismal run of form last season.

The 59-year-old, who joined Saint-Etienne in October 2019, is yet to truly stamp his mark on the club, having finished 17th prior to the curtailment of the 2019-20 season before hovering in and around the relegation zone for large spells of last season.

However, five wins from their last 11 matches saw Les Verts finish within one point of the top half in the end, making their defeat at home to already-relegated Dijon on the final day of the season all the more frustrating.

Given that St Etienne are yet to sign a single player in the transfer market this summer, though, there has to be scepticism as to whether Puel has been handed the tools to deliver tangible improvement in the form of a European qualification spot.

That said, the squad still has more than enough quality to swat aside sides like Lorient when at their best, which would certainly provide a positive start to the season if they can do so on Sunday.

© Reuters

Like his counterpart Puel, Pelissier has been retained in the role he has held for more than two years, despite Lorient coming close to being relegated last season.

However, that was to be expected having only been promoted from Ligue 2 in the prior campaign, marking a 16th-placed finish as a decent achievement for Les Merlus.

After all, the 55-year-old was the man who guided the club to the Ligue 2 title after the club endured two difficult seasons in the second tier under his predecessor Mickael Landreau, but without more signings than the £1.8m spent to bring right-back Igor Silva to the club this summer, it could be another difficult season ahead for them.

Lorient spent 11 consecutive seasons in Ligue 1 between 2006 and 2017, so Pelissier will desperately be hoping that he can be the man to lay the foundations at the club for another similarly lengthy spell in France's top flight.

Gaining a positive result away to St Etienne, a side who they were competing against to survive for most of last season, on Sunday would certainly provide optimism that they have enough to stay up once again.

Team News

© Reuters

St Etienne are likely to be without Yvann Macon after he missed most of last season with an ACL injury, but the left-back should be available again in the near future.

Given that there has been very little squad turnover this summer, Puel could select a very similar XI to the side which ended last season in decent form, although former Newcastle United full-back Mathieu Debuchy has departed the club after his contract was not extended.

Lorient, meanwhile, may travel without Quentin Boisgard due to a muscle issue.

Silva should make his debut for the club at right-back after joining from Croatian side Osijek.

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Green; Sissoko, Moukoudi, Kolodziejczak, Trauco; Nordin, Camara, Neyou, Bouanga; Hamouma, Khazri

Lorient possible starting lineup:
Nardi; Hergault, Fontaine, Laporte, Morel, Le Goff; Le Fee, Lemoine, Abergel; Wissa, Moffi

We say: Saint-Etienne 1-1 Lorient

We expect to see a closely fought game between these two sides on Sunday, with the visitors certainly capable of claiming a positive result.

Pelissier's sides hopes this season will largely depend on Yoane Wissa and Terem Moffi, who both hit double figures in Ligue 1 last season, but they have enough firepower to trouble a St Etienne side who are yet to sign a single player in the transfer window.