Preview: Clermont vs. Ajaccio - prediction, team news, lineups

Ajaccio sit second from bottom in the Ligue 1 table, while Clermont occupy 13th place, so both sides will be eager to pick up a positive result on Sunday afternoon.

Match preview

Clermont head into Sunday's showdown on the back of two straight defeats, having suffered a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Lens before losing 2-1 at Montpellier prior to the international break.

As a result, Pascal Gastien's men have now lost five of their last seven Ligue 1 matches, with three consecutive 2-0 defeats against Monaco, Marseille and Rennes coming in February.

Worse still, Clermont have only managed to win one of their previous nine league outings, recording three draws and five losses along the way, so they will be eager to return to winning ways this weekend.

Les Lanciers have also won just one of their last nine home games and have failed to win any of their previous five encounters at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied, taking two points from a possible 15 since their last triumph on home soil.

Although Clermont can take confidence from the fact that Ajaccio sit 13 points below them in the table, the hosts cannot afford to rest on their laurels when the relegation battlers come to town.

Ajaccio returned to the top flight last year following eight successive seasons in the second tier, but the Corsica outfit are heading for an immediate return to Ligue 2 as things stand.

Having lost 19 of their 28 league outings this term - picking up six wins and three draws in the process - the Bears find themselves three points from safety with 10 games left to save their season.

If Ajaccio's results in the lead-up to the international break are anything to go by, the club's fate could be sealed sooner rather than later, as they suffered six defeats in seven matches while scoring just once in that time.

When you look at the bigger picture, ACA have lost 10 of their previous 12 encounters, firing nine blanks along the way, so it is no real surprise that Olivier Pantaloni's men are the lowest scorers in the division.

Remarkably, Pantaloni has been in charge at Ajaccio since 2014 after making more than 100 appearances for the club as a player, but the long-standing relationship could break down if the 56-year-old fails to keep ACA in Ligue 1.

Clermont Ligue 1 form:

L

L

D

W

L

L

Ajaccio Ligue 1 form:

L

L

W

L

L

L

Team News

Having missed the last three games, Clermont midfielder Elbasan Rashani remains sidelined due to injury, while Komnen Andric is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign.

There are also question marks over the fitness of Maximiliano Caufriez and Alidu Seidu, as the centre-backs have not featured since sustaining injuries in February.

With top scorer Andric out injured, Clermont will need Saif-Eddine Khaoui - who has bagged four goals and three assists this season - to step up and provide an attacking threat.

For the visitors, Youssouf Kone is nursing an ankle injury, while Yoann Touzghar is absent with a muscle issue, so they have joined Yanis Cimignani, Romain Hamouma and Thomas Mangani on Ajaccio's injury list.

On top of that, Cyrille Bayala is suspended after picking up a red card in the 2-0 defeat to Monaco last time out, opening the door for Kevin Spadanuda to feature in the starting XI.

Having returned to action last month following adductor problems, Youcef Belaili will aim to enhance his tally of six goals and five assists this weekend.

Clermont possible starting lineup:

Diaw; Konate, Wieteska, Borges; Zeffane, Gonalons, Gastien, Allevinah; Khaoui, Maurer; Kyei

Ajaccio possible starting lineup:

Leroy; Youssouf, Gonzalez, Vidal, Ismael; Spadanuda, Barreto, Coutadeur, Belaili; El Idrissy, Soumano

We say: Clermont 0-0 Ajaccio

Given that only two sides have picked up fewer points than Clermont and Ajaccio across the past 10 games, Sunday's clash looks destined to be a cagey affair.

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