Auxerre scored a third consecutive win (one cup) at home to Nancy last week and after shipping goals so freely in their first three games, they will be delighted to have conceded just once in their last trio of starts.

 

 

Ahead of the first of those wins, 3-0 at Orleans my notes included ...........

 

 

 

Prior to the defeat of Nancy I updated with ........

 

It is clear that Auxerre pose a big offensive threat, Philippoteaux was very influential out wide, they did not have to call upon Sakhi (see both above) until the hour mark, striker Yanis Merdji scored twice, his first goals of the campaign. They scored three more in midweek in the Coupe de la Ligue (3-1 v Gazelec) when Sakhi played in the middle of a three behind Merdji, the other wide man Mancini scored twice, Mickael Barreto played that second striker role last week, scored and again from off the bench in the cup and their options are many and varied up top and some big decisions for the head coach to make today. Their only clean sheet came versus Orleans but that says more right now about their host  and I would not rush to back Auxerre to keep another, even against a transitioning Nancy. Orleans drew 1-1 at home with newly promoted Beziers in the cup on Tuesday progressing on penalties where they again had a player sent off late, second time in four starts and indiscipline along with a very leaky backline and fairly toothless offensive unit, is not a great combination.

 

Newly promoted Red Star are winless with just two goals in five competitive starts, they have yo-yoed between the second and third tier in recent campaigns and in 2016-17 scored just 7 times in their opening 12 starts and goals are clearly hard for them to come by at this level and their style of football feels more suited to National and one win in 15 Ligue 2 starts (scoring 0.75 goals pg) makes dismal reading . Their head coach was dismissed by the two previous teams he coached at this level for being too negative which all ties in with what we know about the team and with their own ground not deemed up to Ligue 2 standards, they have to play home games in Beauvais  (only 1,500 at last game here) which is 80km from their stadium in Saint-Ouen, so limited advantage on "home" soil. Striker Abdoulaye Sane contributed to 40% of goals scored last season (13 goals and three assists) and they scored just once and took a single point from the three games he missed and in a promotion campaign ! He hasn't been replaced as far as I can see.

 

Auxerre are up to 9th, have a very good L2 budget (more than 2.5 times that of Red Star)and remain a "name" club, they added Samuel Souprayen (pictured) from Hellas Verona this week, he has a lot of experience of this league, making 119 L2 starts for Dijon (they finished 7-6-4 in the last three seasons he played) he goes straight into the squad this evening.

 

 

 

 

Red Star : Douchez, Rénot - Ferreira, Satli, Mendy, Derrien, Sy - Lapoussin, Lefebvre, Diakité, Teuma, Bourgaud, Berthier - Mhirsi, Baradji, Donisa, Faucher, Sao.

 

 

Auxerre: Adéoti, Arcus, Ba, Barreto, Bizet, Boto, Dugimont, Féret, Fomba, Laiton, Mancini, Marcelin, Merdji, Philippoteaux, Sakhi, Souprayen, Touré, Westberg .

 

 

Good Luck.