FC Lorient - AS Saint-Etienne Friday at 21:00 CET (1900 GMT)

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With eight games of the season remaining the battle to beat the dreaded drop is intensifying with five points separating the bottom five teams and both Lorient and Saint-Etienne among that pack of clubs. Saint-Etienne currently occupy 18th place, the relegation play-off position, and are just a single point behind both Lorient and Clermont Foot 63. Beneath them there is a four-point gap down to FC Metz and Girondins de Bordeaux.

Whatever happens this weekend, Metz and Bordeaux will continue to occupy the automatic relegation places. But this could be a big opportunity for Lorient or Les Verts, whoever emerges victorious in southern Brittany. Metz and Bordeaux face each other on Sunday afternoon, while Clermont are at home to Paris Saint-Germain. In any case, the winner of this game is guaranteed to end the weekend out of the bottom three.

Record 10-time champions Saint-Etienne appeared to have given themselves a real chance of pulling clear to safety when a 1-0 win at home to Metz a month ago left them on a run of one defeat in six, and that was away at PSG. A respectable draw followed away at LOSC Lille, but then they were held at home by fellow strugglers ESTAC Troyes before a 4-2 home loss to Olympique de Marseille last time out. Now the form book can be flipped, and it is just one win in six for Pascal Dupraz’s team, but the coach remains positive.

“At the end of Round 21 we were 17 points behind Angers and now we are just five behind. We were also seven behind Metz and now we are four in front, so that calls for optimism. There are eight games to go and we are running on schedule,” Dupraz told reporters this week, before pointing out: “In the last nine matches we have only lost to PSG and Marseille.”

Highlights: Saint-Etienne go down at home to Marseille

Of a Lorient team with whom Saint-Etienne drew 1-1 on the opening weekend of the campaign, Dupraz added: “They are a point above us with the same goal difference. They are a team of the same level as us. We come into this game in excellent shape. The players have applied themselves and been focused this week. We intend to give our very best in what is another final for us. Not decisive, because there will still be 21 points to play for, but it could see us get closer to the 30-point mark and it is important that we get there quickly.”

Like Saint-Etienne, Lorient were on the end of a heavy defeat last weekend, going down 5-1 away to a Kylian Mbappé-inspired PSG in the capital. Yet they too can be encouraged by their recent form, with three wins and two draws in their last eight outings seeing them climb out of the relegation zone and giving Les Merlus real hope of survival.

Camara 'did something stupid'

“Having a dynamic at the end of the season is important because it means more confidence. Little details will be decisive now we are at this stage. Confidence and the psychological aspect are both going to be important,” said Lorient coach Christophe Pelissier at his weekly press conference.

As well as this game, Lorient also have to play relegation rivals Metz, Bordeaux and Troyes between now and the end of the campaign, and Pelissier knows points in these games will be the key to his team staying in the top flight.

Watch: Lorient are outclassed by PSG

“Especially as we will be playing three of them at home. We said we would need to get results at home to stay up. This is an exciting stage of the season. This is also why we do this job. There is pressure, but sometimes that brings out the best in you.”

Midfielder Bonke Innocent is out for the hosts after suffering an injury playing for Nigeria last month, while Stéphane Diarra, Enzo Le Fée and Vincent Le Goff are all injured.  Falaye Sacko, Joris Gnagnon and Boubacar Fall are injured for Saint-Etienne, while Romain Hamouma, Yvann Maçon and Wahbi Khazri are all recovering fitness just now. Meanwhile midfielder Mahdi Camara is out after being punished by the club for getting involved in a fight at the training ground.

“He did something stupid and he regrets it,” said Dupraz of Camara, who has played more minutes than anyone else for Saint-Etienne this season.

Probable teams

Lorient: Dreyer; Mendes, Laporte, Pétrot, Le Goff; Le Fée, Abergel (c), Monconduit, Laurienté; Moffi, Koné

Saint-Etienne: Bernardoni; Mangala, Moukoudi, Nadé; Silva, Gourna-Douath, Youssouf, Kolodziejczak (c); Boudebouz, Crivelli, Bouanga

>> FOCUS: Final sprint - who has form?