Strasbourg will be aiming to stretch their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to five matches when they welcome Bordeaux to the Stade de la Meinau on Sunday afternoon.
Les Coureurs enjoyed a 2-0 victory at Angers in their most recent outing, whereas Bordeaux fell to defeat at home to Saint-Etienne in midweek.
Match preview
© Reuters
After a truly dismal opening to the 2020-21 Ligue 1 campaign, Thierry Laurey has managed to steer Strasbourg away from danger over the past few weeks.
Les Coureurs are now unbeaten in their last four and enjoyed a straightforward 2-0 victory at Angers on Wednesday evening, with Habib Diallo netting his fifth of the season before Ludovic Ajorque came off the bench to net his sixth of the campaign and wrap up the win.
Laurey has witnessed his team take eight points from a possible 12 in their last four matches, and Strasbourg have now risen to 15th in the table following their midweek win over Angers, but Les Coureurs are not out of the woods yet as they sit just three points clear of the drop zone.
However, both of Strasbourg's recent victories over Angers and Nantes have come on the road, and Laurey's side have not won at home for five matches since a 1-0 triumph over basement side Dijon in September.
The hosts should be going all out to win this one, though, as the visit of Bordeaux represents Strasbourg's best chance to prevail one more time in 2020, with Paris Saint-Germain up next for Laurey's side next Wednesday.
© Reuters
In contrast, Bordeaux are finding it much harder to keep teams at bay compared to the opening weeks of the season, with Jean-Louis Gasset's men slipping to 13th after an inconsistent spell of form.
Les Girondins became Saint-Etienne's first victims since September as Les Verts enjoyed a 2-1 victory on Bordeaux's turf on Wednesday, with Arnaud Nordin and Yvan Neyou striking either side of Hwang Ui-jo's equaliser to condemn Bordeaux to their sixth defeat of the campaign.
Gasset's side are now closer to the drop zone than the European places, and with Bordeaux managing to prevail in just one of their last six outings on unfamiliar territory, Strasbourg have every right to feel confident heading into this fixture.
The good news for the Girondins faithful is that their side are unlikely to drop any lower should they lose this one, and depending on what happens during Saturday's games, Bordeaux could rise up to 10th with a much-needed away win.
Strasbourg have taken the spoils in their last four matches against Les Girondins in all competitions, with this weekend's hosts winning 1-0 at the Matmut Atlantique in the only meeting between the two sides last season.
Strasbourg Ligue 1 form: LLDWDW
Bordeaux Ligue 1 form: LWDWLL
Team News
© Reuters
Strasbourg will welcome Stefan Mitrovic back to the fold following his three-game suspension, and the 30-year-old could come straight back into the side for Mohamed Simakan, who is a major doubt after sustaining a thigh injury in midweek.
Goalkeeper Bingourou Kamara is still struggling with a knee problem and unlikely to feature, while Lamine Kone continues to nurse a broken toe.
Ajorque will hope that his goal in midweek earns him a place in Laurey's first XI, with Majeed Waris potentially being the unlucky one to drop out.
Bordeaux have defensive problems of their own to deal with as Loris Benito is touch and go with back pain, while Laurent Koscielny is still sidelined as well.
Samuel Kalu will remain in the treatment room until the New Year, but Gasset otherwise has no more injury concerns to deal with for the trip to Strasbourg.
The Girondins boss could be tempted to shuffle the pack after a dampening loss to Saint-Etienne, with Remi Oudin and Nicolas de Preville pushing for starting roles.
Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Kawashima; Lala, Mitrovic, Djiku, Caci; Sissoko, Bellegarde, Aholou; Thomasson; Ajorque, Diallo
Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Costil; Kwateng, Pablo, Baysse, Sabaly; Oudin, Otavio, Basic, Hwang; Ben Arfa, Maja
We say: Strasbourg 2-2 Bordeaux
Strasbourg's home form is still questionable despite their recent revival, but Bordeaux's inconsistent nature makes this an extremely difficult game to call. The loss of Simakan could be a huge blow for the hosts if he is ruled out of this encounter, but Strasbourg are nevertheless a team full of confidence at the moment, although we think Bordeaux should do enough to take a share of the spoils.
