Nantes vs Angers – News and Probable Lineups

Nantes, sitting just above the bottom of the table, will host Angers at Stade de la Beaujoire on Saturday, desperately needing a victory in the 25th round of Ligue 1 as their survival chances diminish.

The Canaries find themselves seven points adrift of safety with only 10 matches remaining, and their window to stave off relegation is closing fast after a 13-year stay in the top division.

Match overview

After claiming a vital 2-0 win over Le Havre in matchday 23, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Nantes supporters to feel a renewed sense of hope in their battle against relegation.

That win broke a five-match losing streak for the club, but the excitement was quickly tempered as Ahmed Kantari’s team succumbed to a defeat against Lille, who are vying for European qualification, conceding a last-minute goal when a draw appeared likely.

In an effort to uplift his players following that disappointing outing at Stade Pierre Mauroy, Kantari’s squad aims to achieve consecutive home victories in the league for the first time since early seasonal play in September-October 2023, which could greatly enhance their relegation prospects.

While achieving a 15th-place finish seems out of reach for the Canaries with a 10-point gap to Nice, they may still contend for a relegation playoff spot.

With Auxerre one position above in 16th, just a single point ahead of Nantes, overtaking the team above is within reach, but with 15 defeats—the second-most in the league—they need a string of favorable results to secure a playoff position.

Nantes may find their chances of securing back-to-back home wins this season enhanced, given that their opponents have lost their last three league fixtures.

Alexandre Dujeux’s team struggled in the latter half of February, suffering defeats to Lorient, Lille, and Mônaco, failing to find the net in those matches after a brief unbeaten run.

Le SCO managed clean sheets in their earlier matches, defeating Metz and Toulouse 1-0 after drawing with Paris, but they have since struggled offensively, not scoring while allowing their last three opponents to net.

It remains uncertain if the Black and Whites can secure a positive result against Nantes, having had a dismal record away from home in 2026, losing three of their four away matches and failing to score in their last three outings.

Angers have only garnered nine points on the road, with only four teams earning fewer, scoring a mere six goals away from home—just slightly better than Le Havre’s five—highlighting their offensive issues outside of Western França, where they amassed 20 points compared to just nine on the road.

Team News

Nantes seems to have come away from their defeat at Lille without significant injuries, but Kelvin Amian—who has not played since mid-February—and Amady Camara along with Bahmed Deuff, both absent since January, might again be sidelined this weekend.

Without a single player scoring more than four goals this season, they will look to Matthis Abline, who has four goals, to provide a crucial impact on Saturday, while Mostafa Mohamed and Youssef El Arabi each have netted three goals.

Notably, Mohamed (three) and El Arabi (two) have increased their goal tally at home in Ligue 1 compared to Abline, who has only one goal at Stade de la Beaujoire this term.

Angers will evaluate Herve Koffi’s hand injury before Saturday’s match, while Branco van den Boomen might make his return after missing the previous defeat to Mônaco.

Similar to Nantes, Angers hasn’t had a standout player dominating their scoring, as Prosper Peter is currently leading the team in Ligue 1 with three goals following Sidiki Cherif (four) departing for Fenerbahce in January.

Dujeux faces the decision of selecting his starting centre-forward between Peter and Goduine Koyalipou, with the latter anticipated to take on the lead role.

Nantes probable starting XI:

Lopes; Awaziem, Yusuf, Cozza; Centonze, Kaba, Lepenant, Tabibou; Cabella, Albine; Mohamed

Angers probable starting XI:

Choose; Arcus, Camara, Lefort, Hanin; Belkebla, Van den Boomen; Raolisoa, Belkhdim, Sbai; Koyalipou

Predicting the outcome of Saturday’s match is challenging, given Nantes’ poor home performance with only one victory in 10 matches and two all season, alongside Angers’ limited successes and goals away.

While a draw appears probable, the urgency for points might drive the hosts to secure a win, which would mark their first back-to-back home victories of the season.