Girondins de Bordeaux - Saint-Etienne

Posted Saturday, February 13, 2010 by Goal.com

Following back-to-back losses, les Girondins will endeavour to get back on track against les Verts on Sunday evening...

Kick Off: Sunday, February 14, 2010. 21:00 CET
Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux

February Flops

Undoubtedly the dominant club in France throughout 2009, the new year is promising to be tougher already for Girondins de Bordeaux, who have crashed out of the Coupe de France to Monaco and seen their healthy advantage atop Ligue 1 cut to just three points.

When Laurent Blanc’s men meet with Saint-Etienne on Sunday evening in the south west of France, it is even possible that they will be locked together with Montpellier, who play more than 24 hours previously on Saturday.

Though this blip is a worrying state of affairs for the Chaban-Delmas outfit, it cannot be ignored that Blanc’s men struggled around this time last season. Bordeaux’s championship hopes seemed to fade when they crumbled to fifth spot in Ligue 1 after winning just once in seven matches during February but this was merely the club taking a deep breath before a remarkable push towards the league title.

In February 2010, les Girondins have only tiptoed past Sedan in the Coupe de la Ligue but have otherwise struggled. A 4-2 league loss to Stade Rennais last weekend was somewhat unfortunate as the champions enjoyed the upper hand for much of the game, while the midweek home loss to Monaco was also a damaging result as it knocked les Marine et Blanc out of the Coupe de France, ending dreams of an unprecedented title.

Bordeaux’s attack is not firing as it might, while their rearguard has been distinctly disappointing, problems Blanc will want to iron out before the Champions League last 16 encounter against Olympiacos in less than a fortnight.

Growing Under Gautier

When coach Alain Perrin was jettisoned from Saint-Etienne in the early winter, it was clear that the former Portsmouth manager wasn’t taking the side anywhere. Struggling at the foot of the table and ravaged by injuries, Sainte, traditionally one of France’s biggest clubs, were on their knees.

Christophe Gautier has since taken over, making an immediate impression. In his dugout debut as coach, les Verts showed renewed resilliance, picking up a home point against Olympique de Marseille despite being reduced to ten men in the early stages of the game. This has proven a block from which the Loire club have moved out of the relegation zone and out of immediate harm’s way.

Three of Sainte’s last four games have been won, though admittedly one of these was only claimed on penalty kicks, but the upward trajectory of the side at present cannot be doubted. An impressive 3-0 home victory over Monaco last weekend ensured that les Verts currently enjoy a seven point cushion over the relegation zone, while an unconvincing 2-0 Coupe de France success over Vannes has the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard side in the last eight of that competition for the first time in nearly two decades.

Gautier’s work is only just beginning though. Sainte envisage themselves as a team capable of challenging for Europe, and at full strength they have the personnel to do just that. The rookie Ligue 1 coach must now find the right blend so as to start on the front foot next term, assuming, that is, they avoid the relegation trapdoor this time around.

FORM GUIDE

Bordeaux

LOST 2-0 (h) Monaco (Coupe de France, February 10)

LOST 4-2 (a) Stade Rennais (Ligue 1, February 6)

WON 1-0 (h) Sedan (Coupe de la Ligue, February 2)

DREW 0-0 (h) Boulogne-Sur-Mer (Ligue 1, January 30)

WON 3-2 (a) Le Mans (Ligue 1, January 26)

Saint-Etienne

WON 2-0 (h) Vannes (Coupe de France, February 10)

WON 3-0 (h) Monaco (Ligue 1, February 7)

DREW 2-2 (won on penalties) (a) Villefranche (Coupe de France, February 3)

LOST 1-0 (a) Auxerre (Ligue 1, January 31)

WON 4-1 (h) Lorient (Coupe de France, January 24)

TEAM NEWS

Bordeaux

For much of this campaign Bordeaux have had few injury problems. There is no massive list of concerns this time around, though Alou Diarra is scheduled to miss this fixture due to a muscular complaint. In addition, a hand injury sustained by Benoit Tremoulinas in midweek means he may well sit out too.

Probable Starting XI: Carrasso; Chalme, Ciani, Planus, Jurietti; Fernando, Traore; Plasil, Gourcuff, Wendel; Chamakh

Saint-Etienne

Christophe Gautier has an improving injury situation and has already named his squad of 20 players to meet les Girondins. The only players to be sidelined through injury are third choice shot-stopper Pape Coulibaly, defenders Moustapha Bayal Sall and Yohan Andreu, and midfielder Christophe Landrin.

Probable Starting XI: Janot; Perrin, Diakhate, Benalouane, Dabo; Sako, N’Daw, Matuidi, Payet; Bergessio, Sanogo

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bordeaux

Rated as Ligue 1’s best player in the Castrol Rankings, Yoann Gourcuff continues to be the figurehead player for les Girondins. The attacking midfielder will be the one to pull the strings in the centre of the midfield and will look to create effective forward thrusts, especially if Benoit Tremoulinas is unavailable. He also boasts a very real goal threat from a whole variety of situations as he is strong in the air, skilful and adept over a deadball.

Saint-Etienne

Argentina international Gonzalo Bergessio is one of Saint-Etienne’s most dangerous components. A penalty box striker, he has found the net on eight occasions this season, though only four times in the league. The 25-year-old is fresh back from an injury problem and has been in very sharp form of late, scoring three times in his last five appearances.

PREDICTION

Bordeaux don’t tend to lose too many at home but Laurent Blanc has confessed that he admitted that his men are going through a difficult time. Saint-Etienne are certainly capable of exploiting les Girondins’ weaknesses in an offensive sense and finally seem to have some real purpose about their play after months of hopelessness. A shock defeat to the champions shouldn’t be written off, but a marginally less damaging draw is perhaps more likely.