Ligue 1 | Gameweek 33

May 10, 2025 at 8pm UK

Stade Auguste-Delaune II

Reims vs St Etienne

Match preview

Reims may have enjoyed a run of success under Samba Diawara between the end of March and the end of April, winning three out of four Ligue 1 games, but Les Rouges et Blancs have now failed to win in their last two outings.

Diawara took over at the start of February with Les Rouges et Blancs on a run of nine top-flight games without a win, which began with a 3-0 win at Le Havre in November.

After a five-match losing streak before holding Brest to a goalless draw in mid-March, the new Reims boss then oversaw a run of three wins in four games against Marseille (3-1), Lens (2-0) and Toulouse (1-0), with the only defeat coming at home to Champions League chasers Strasbourg.

Those victories helped keep them just outside the drop zone, but a goalless draw at relegated Montpellier HSC and a 1-0 defeat at Nice have left supporters looking over their shoulders in the final weeks of the 2024-25 campaign.

While victory over second-bottom St-Etienne would guarantee safety, the club's failure to win on the bounce at the Stade Auguste-Delaune is unlikely to inspire much optimism among the home crowd against their desperate opponents.

Eirik Horneland will be hoping to capitalise on Reims' inability to win in Ligue 1 in their own backyard as his second-bottom side look to secure an eighth win of the campaign, equalling the current tally of this weekend's hosts.

Despite having one more win than Les Verts going into the penultimate weekend, Saint-Etienne's 19 defeats - four more than the home side - and 74 goals conceded, more than any other club in the division, have undermined their prospects of avoiding immediate relegation.

Horneland's men have conceded three goals in three of their last four Ligue 1 games, drawing 3-3 with Brest and losing 3-1 to high-flying Strasbourg and Monaco.

Looking to protect their fragile defence in their final away game of the season, it will be interesting to see how Horneland approaches the match in round 33, as a defeat could see his side lose their top-flight status.

With only four points separating Saint-Etienne and Le Havre in the relegation play-offs, the second-bottom side need to beat Reims this weekend and hope that 16th-placed Marseille lose to second-bottom Marseille to stay alive on the final day.

Having won just one away game all season - a 2-0 win at Montpellier in mid-March - Saint-Etienne's chances look bleak ahead of their visit to the Marne.

Recent Performance

Reims Ligue 1 form:WLWWDL

Reims form (all competitions):WLWWDL

Saint-Etienne Ligue 1 form:LLDWLL

Team News

While Saturday's game could come too soon for Junya Ito (ankle) and Yaya Fofana (ankle), knee injuries to Mohamed Daramy and Reda Khadra could rule them out of Reims' final home game.

Although Jordan Siebatcheu could spearhead the home side's attack, Keito Nakamura is the main attacking threat for the Red and Whites, with the Japanese striker's 11 league goals well ahead of his team-mates.

Although Benjamin Bouchouari (back) and Augustine Boakye (ankle) will be absent for Saint-Etienne, 12-goal striker Lucas Stassin will be the biggest absentee as Les Verts will need to find crucial goals from elsewhere.

In Stassin's absence, the away side will look to Zuriko Davitashvili (nine goals) and Irvin Cardona (four) to carry the can for the second-bottom side.

Possible starting lineup

Reims possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Buta, Kipre, Okumu, Gbane, Akieme; Diakhon, Edoa, Kone, Nakamura; Siebatcheu

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:

Larsonneu; Appiah, Bernauer, Nade, Petrot; Moueffek, Ekwah, Tardieu; Cardona, N'Guessan, Davitashvili