Angers vs Lorient – News and Probable Lineups

On Sunday afternoon, Angers will host Lorient at the Stade Raymond-Kopa for the eighth round of the 2026-27 Ligue 1 season.

In their last league match, Les Scoistes endured a disappointing 5-2 defeat at home against a revitalized Marseille, while Les Merlus achieved a 1-0 victory over AS Mônaco at the Stade du Moustoir.

Match overview

Having narrowly escaped relegation in both of the past two years, finishing four points clear of the playoff spot in the 2025-26 season, Angers appears poised to fight against relegation once again this term following a mixed start to their campaign.

Despite collecting a commendable seven points from their first five matches, including wins against fellow relegation battlers Auxerre and Troyes, Stephane Gilli’s squad has seen a downturn in form in recent weeks and now finds itself just one point above the relegation zone.

During this period, the main issue for Les Scoistes has been their defensive frailties, as Sunday’s opponents have conceded a concerning 10 goals in the last two weeks, which is double the number they allowed in the previous five fixtures.

Having triumphed in three of their last four encounters with Lorient, including a 2-0 victory at the Stade Raymond-Kopa in the corresponding fixture last season, Angers will look to overcome Les Merlus once again this Sunday and move clear of the relegation zone in Ligue 1.

Having made a solid return to the French top division last season, finishing 10th and comfortably clear of the automatic relegation places, Lorient is likely to be pleased with their strong start to the 2026-27 Ligue 1 campaign.

Although they managed just one win in their first five matches, garnering only a single point during that stretch, Alexandre Dujeux’s team has shown remarkable improvement since returning from the international break, securing a 1-0 win against Paris FC at the Stade du Moustoir two weeks ago before defeating then league leaders AS Mônaco with the same scoreline a week later.

In stark contrast to this weekend’s opponents, Lorient’s strength during this time has clearly been their defense, with Les Merlus having kept a clean sheet in both of their recent games, and only Lyon and Lille have conceded fewer than their five goals in the league after seven matches.

As they travel to play Angers at the Stade Raymond-Kopa, a venue where they have managed to win just once in their last six visits, Lorient will be optimistic about securing a third consecutive win this weekend to move into the European qualification spots in the league.

Team News

After missing last Sunday’s match against Marseille due to a thigh injury, defender Ousmane Camara has resumed training and is available for selection for the visit of Lorient.

Emmanuel Biumla and Haris Belkebla were both absent from Wednesday’s training session and are considered doubtful for the upcoming match, although Angers will be relieved to have Jordânia Lefort back in the matchday squad after he served a suspension last weekend.

Moroccan forward Amine El Ouazzani was chosen to lead the attack ahead of Prosper Peter against L’OM and is likely to retain his place in the lineup after scoring Les Scoistes’ second goal in that match, bringing his total for the season to two.

While he has returned to first team training, 25-year-old midfielder Bandiougou Fadiga may not make his return for Lorient this weekend as he continues to recover from a serious hamstring injury.

The visitors will also be without Noah Mbamba, who remains sidelined with a muscle issue sustained before the international break, while Mohamed Bamba is a doubt due to some physical discomfort.

However, following his absence for the match against Paris FC, Greek defender Panos Katseris was able to sit on the bench for last weekend’s encounter with Mônaco and will be hoping for some playing time on Sunday.

Angers probable starting XI:

Lopes; Arcus, Camara, Lefort, Kalulu; Belkhdim, van den Boomen; Allevinah, Mouton, Sbai; El Ouazzani

Lorient probable starting XI:

Mvogo; Toure, Talbi, Adjei; Sylla, Cadiou, Avom, Kouassi; Bernardeau, Makengo; Balde

Following a challenging period after the international break, Angers will be looking to capitalize on home advantage at the Stade Raymond-Kopa and regain form against a resilient Lorient side this weekend.

Nevertheless, as Les Merlus appear set to continue improving from their slow start, it seems that Les Scoistes may have to wait at least another week to add to their tally of seven points in Ligue 1.