Saint-Etienne host Metz on Sunday with both sides resurgent but still in desperate need of points as they stare down the barrel of relegation from Ligue 1 Uber Eats (kick-off 1pm CET).
Saint-Etienne vs. Metz
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Ahead of the start of the Round 27 action, Saint-Etienne find themselves second-from-bottom of the table with Metz one place ahead of them thanks to a slightly superior goal difference.
Saint-Etienne's fortunes have improved significantly following the appointment of Pascal Dupraz, who has guided them to three wins and a draw in their last five league games. They might even have had a better record had the fixture list been kinder as they lost 3-1 to league leaders Paris Saint-Germain last weekend.
WATCH: PSG end Saint-Etienne's unbeaten run
"We're approaching it just as we do other games, with the ambition of adding FC Metz to our scalps," said Dupraz. "It's a legitimate goal and one that is shared by our opponents. It'll require a lot of concentration against a team that has the same number of points as us but not enough to ensure safety. We'll have to win a lot more matches."
Dupraz is without Romain Hamouma after the experienced forward underwent a wrist operation on Thursday while Saïdou Sow has an ankle problem and Yvann Maçon has had exploratory knee surgery. Wahbi Khazri is a doubt as is Bakary Sako while new signing Enzo Crivelli remains sidelined for the record French champions, who will look to record a third successive home win in front of a capacity crowd.
"Thirty thousand people behind us at the Geoffroy-Guichard, we're looking forward to that. We have given our fans hope again by getting back into the battle against relegation. We are very proud of that. But the match is the same. It's not worth six points, but only three. Like the others. Even against big teams you have to try and pick up points. I hope we'll be able to do that," said midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath.
"The coach has given us confidence. He's very good at dealing with the squad and we understood that we needed to work on ourselves so that we don't stay near the bottom of the table. When coach Puel, who did good work was here, it was already us out on the pitch. We have picked up, but there's still a long way to go. I think the squad is more united, more together."
WATCH: Saint-Etienne pick up a point at Metz
As Dupraz said, Metz will arrive in bullish mood too. They are unbeaten in their last four league games away from home, and have kept clean sheets in the last three.
"There's always pressure. Every match now is a potential turning point. There are 12 left, 36 points to play for. If we win at Saint-Etienne, it's very good, we have to keep going. If we lose, we have to keep going anyway," said boss Frédéric Antonetti, who is without the injured Fabien Centonze, Matthieu Udol, Habib Maïga and Lenny Lacroix as well as the suspended Vincent Pajot.
"There is a match to be played with ambition and being well organised, disciplined and posing our opponents problems. Because we cause everyone problems."
Probable teams
Saint-Etienne: Bernardoni; Thioub, Sacko, Mangala, Nadé, Kolodziejczak; Camara, Gourna-Douath, Boudebouz; Bouanga, Nordin
Metz: Caillard; Delaine, Bronn, Kouyaté, Amadou, Candé; Amadou, Sarr, Nguette , Boulaya; Mafouta
