As five months ago, Saint-Etienne is playing big in the derby. Fifteenths of the French championship, the Greens move to Lyon, Sunday, at the end of the 27e Ligue 1 day (9 p.m.). And they really don’t have the right to make a mistake when facing their rival who just won a prestigious victory this week against Juventus Turin in the Champions League.
In the league, Claude Puel’s men have not won since January 23. In their last ten games, the Stéphanois have lost eight times, won only one and have drawn a draw.
The last time Saint-Etienne had had such a catastrophic streak was at the start of the season: six games without a win, a place in the depths of the standings and a derby that was fast approaching. Claude Puel, who replaced Ghislain Printant, had then successfully entered with an acquired victory against the Lyonnais rival in the very last minutes (1-0).
This success in extremis had a time revived the Greens. In the process, the Stéphanois had won three of their next four games. After a new victory against Nantes (3-2), on the evening of the 13e day, they even occupied fourth place, only one length behind Marseille, second. "We come back well", analyzed Mathieu Debuchy, the defender of ASSE. “We have had good results, it puts us at the top of the ranking. We will be able to rest and continue working, because nothing is finished. "
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Two wins in thirteen games
Nothing was actually finished. On the eve of this new derby, the Stéphanois are certainly not relegated, as they were in early October 2019, but they occupy a very modest fifteenth place, just two points from Nîmes, barragiste. Because since this post-derby upturn, Saint-Etienne has had poor performances. Two victories and only eight points taken in thirteen games: the third lowest total behind Toulouse, and Amiens, last and penultimate of the championship.
When they think to bounce, after a victory against Nîmes (2-1), they continue with a series of four consecutive defeats, against Metz, Marseille, Montpellier and Brest. Last weekend against Reims, when they were just touching their first victory since January 25, the Greens lost three points after a penalty conceded in stoppage time (1-1).
A frustrating draw, but for Yohan Cabaye and his teammates, this last setback must be used to prepare the derby. "I felt the team was stronger and smarter in managing their efforts", he argued at a press conference on Friday. “We were less in difficulty than in previous matches. Despite the club's situation, the group is united. We are all determined to change the results. Besides, we still worked very, very well this week in training. I am convinced that success will turn in our favor. "
Change of goalkeeper
Still, the Stéphanois will have to do without several of their major players. Loïc Perrin, Romain Hamouma, Wahbi Khazri and Jean-Eudes Aholou will all be absent due to injury, and the name of Mahdi Camara, suspended, must be added to this list.
Above all, Saint-Etienne will have to do without his goalkeeper, Stéphane Ruffier, in conflict with his coach and who has been excluded from the group for the second consecutive game. His agent's press releases did not really facilitate reconciliation between the two sides. "The conditions are not met for his return to the group", soberly summed up Claude Puel at a press conference on Friday. It is therefore Jessy Moulin who will keep the Stéphane cages on Sunday.
It may be bad for good for the Greens. Ruffier, impeccable for almost nine years in the green jersey, is having his worst season in goals from Stéphane. He had never conceded so many goals per game and had been less than decisive on opponent's strikes.
Conversely, with her three small league games so far (against Nîmes, Lyon and Reims), Jessy Moulin has a 92% quit rate, far above her usual standards and the average of Ligue 1 If they want to take advantage of the derby to restart their season again, the Stéphanois will need it, Sunday evening.
