The poster smells of Ligue 1. But it is on behalf of the eighth day of Ligue 2 that Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux face off, Saturday September 10 at 3 p.m. at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium. At the end of a nightmarish Ligue 1 season, two of the biggest clubs in France were asked to go down one floor, with the hope or even the (financial) obligation not to stay there.
Two of the biggest French clubs
With 69 seasons in the elite each, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux are hot on the heels of Olympique de Marseille (72), record holder for years spent in the elite of French football. Respectively champions of France on ten and six occasions, the Greens and the Girondins had not played together in the second division since the 1937-1938 season. An eternity. The last time the Bordeaux people were there was in 1991-1992, ten years later for their rivals (2003-2004).
Since 1945, the two teams have faced each other 134 times in all competitions (excluding friendly matches) for a record of 48 Saint-Etienne victories, 47 Bordeaux victories and 39 draws. If there had been a show, there had been no winner in their last confrontation in Ligue 1, on April 20 at Matmut Atlantique (2-2).
A start to the season at the antipodes
At the dawn of this poster, ten points separate the two clubs. 19th in Ligue 1 with a desperate defense (91 goals conceded), and saved from an administrative demotion in National, Bordeaux could expect the worst for its debut in L2. The men of David Guion, whose contract was renewed despite the descent, however thwarted all predictions. With four wins, two draws and a defeat, the FCGB is first with 14 points, the best defense in the championship (two goals conceded) and a better goal difference than its runner-up Amiens. An almost perfect start to the season which contrasts with that of Saint-Etienne.
It took until the sixth day for Sainté to finally win a match. But the card against Bastia (5-0), which could correspond to the Stéphanois awakening, was annihilated by the draw against the red lantern Pau (2-2), Monday. With already 15 goals conceded (for 13 scored) and six red cards received, the lack of defensive solidity and discipline are two faults to be erased. Sanctioned by a withdrawal of three firm points by the LFP, still because of excesses during the barrage against Auxerre, ASSE is currently in second-to-last place, with four points on the clock, as much as the last, Pau .
Last match behind closed doors at Geoffroy-Guichard
As since the start of the season, the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium will ring hollow. After the incidents in the accession play-off against Auxerre, which sealed the relegation of the Greens to Ligue 2, the Professional Football League (LFP) sentenced ASSE to six games behind closed doors, two of which were suspended. This poster is therefore the last to be played in an empty stadium. For the Greens, so far, the record is mixed at home: a win, a draw and a defeat. Laurent Batlles’ men certainly took their first point of the season against Nîmes (1-1) on the second day, and won for the first time against Bastia (5-0) on the sixth day, they also fell against Le Havre (0-6). Best away team with two wins and a draw, Bordeaux has every interest in taking advantage of the absence of fiery Saint-Etienne supporters.
A Stéphanois transfer window in Troyes, an insolent youth in Bordeaux
Whether for Saint-Etienne or Bordeaux, the descent caused a disruption of the workforce with respectively 23 departures for 11 arrivals, and 24 departures for six arrivals. Several Saint-Etienne executives have left the ship (Khazri, Hamouma, Boudebouz, Nordin, Kolodziejczak, etc.), while the sales of Lucas Gourna-Douath in Leipzig or Denis Bouanga in Los Angeles have bailed out the coffers. In terms of arrivals in Forez, Laurent Batlles opted for players who went up to Ligue 1 under his orders in Troyes: Dylan Chambost, Jimmy Giraudon or Lenny Pintor are part of this vintage. The rest of the transfer window is a mix between free players and inexpensive operations. Returning from loan, Sergi Palencia and Jean-Philippe Krasso have done well. The Franco-Ivorian striker has already been decisive 9 times this season (seven goals, two assists)
In Bordeaux, the financial emergency led to the transfers of Sékou Mara to Southampon, Hwang Ui-jo to Nottingham Forest or Jean Onana to Lens, and to an almost total renewal. Long constrained by its excessive payroll, the club with the scapular waited for the last moments of the summer transfer window to register its recruits (Nsimba, Barbet, Michelin, Badji…). In their absence, the young people took power to create this positive dynamic like Dilane Bakwa (two goals, two assists) or Logan Delaurier-Chaubet (two goals). Already author of four goals and three assists, the Englishman Josh Maja has come back to life since his return from loan to Stoke City.