The French second tier season starts this weekend and features this upcoming clash between Dijon and St Etienne at the Stade Gaston-Gérard with both teams keen to make a positive start to their respective Ligue 2 campaigns.
A swift return to the French top flight was not to be for Dijon who had finished rock bottom of Ligue 1 the season before.
💚🔜 #DFCOASSE...Ce jeudi, la séance des Verts sera ouverte au public ! 👇— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) July 26, 2022
💚🔜 #DFCOASSE...Ce jeudi, la séance des Verts sera ouverte au public ! 👇
The hosts finished in a disappointing mid-table position of 11th place with inconsistency blighting their hopes of at least making a challenge for a play-off spot.
Indeed, Dijon ended last term with just one win under their belt in their final seven games of the season thanks to a 3-1 win away from home at Niort while defeats against Ajaccio, Auxerre and Nancy outweighed their minimal success.
However, although Dijon suffered defeats on home soil towards the end of the season to Ajaccio and Nancy, Ajaccio went on to gain promotion and before these losses, Dijon had captured three home wins on the trot over Caen, Le Havre and Grenoble Foot.
St Etienne suffered the same fate as their hosts, Dijon, did a couple of seasons ago last term.
The visitors lost their relegation play-off clash against last season’s Ligue 2 side, Auxerre, eventually being relegated after a penalty shoot-out.
It was perhaps the cruelest way to be relegated but overall results haven’t done St Etienne any favours both towards the end of last season and indeed in the lead up to this new season.
St Etienne have managed to capture just two wins out of their last 13 matches in all competitions, both of which were against lower league sides in the shape of Thonon Evian and Le Puy Foot, both in pre-season friendlies.
It’s been 18 years since St Etienne were plying their trade in the French second tier but if they’re to make a swift return to Ligue 1 the visitors must improve upon results away from home; St Etienne have won just one of their last 11 outings on the road in all matches which includes keeping just two clean sheets.
On a positive note, St Etienne have also scored in nine of these last 11 away games, and with Dijon keen to make a good impression in their opening home game of this season, both teams to score looks a reasonable outcome.