Preview: Reims vs. Angers - prediction, team news, lineups

Reims also now have nothing to play for after a drop in form has ended any hopes of European qualification.

Match preview

After a 19-game unbeaten run which made headlines across Europe, Will Still's Reims side have now lost five of their last eight matches, shattering their dreams of returning to Europe after a long absence.

Their sudden drop off means they now find themselves in the bottom half, with defeat against Lens last weekend resulting in Reims finishing the weekend in 11th.

Even though they are facing an Angers side next who are rooted to the bottom of the standings having already had their relegation confirmed, Reims have lost three of the last five matches in which they have faced the side last in the table.

Reims can at least cling on to the fact that they beat Angers in the reverse fixture - a 4-2 success which saw them claim the three points despite being down to 10 men.

A win late last season against their upcoming opponents means they have the opportunity to record three successive victories over Le SCO for the first time since 1971.

If they are able to overcome this next challenge, Folarin Balogun will expect to have a say, in what will likely be one of his final games at the club.

Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored more in a debut season in Ligue 1 this century, with Balogun's 19-goal haul only bettered by four other players this season, including Kylian Mbappe.

In what has been a complete nightmare of a season for Angers, they are going down with a whimper after a brief upturn in fortunes during early April.

This match could see the club match an unwanted top-flight record of matches lost in a single season, as they are one defeat away from joining the Troyes Sainte-Savine side who lost 28 Ligue 1 matches in the 1960-61 season.

With just 14 points amassed so far this season, Angers have had the biggest drop off compared to this stage last season of any side in Ligue 1, being 21 points worse off than they were last season after 35 games.

Angers have a dismal record on the road which has contributed greatly to their downfall, collecting just one point in their last 13 away matches, conceding an eye-watering 17 goals in the last five.

Having long been relegated, it will be a season that they hope will be quickly forgotten, but with both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 shortening to 18 teams next season, the second tier will certainly be more competitive.

Reims Ligue 1 form:

D

L

L

L

W

L

Angers Ligue 1 form:

W

L

L

L

L

L

Team News

Reims will be without numerous first team players for the visit of Angers here, with Thibault De Smet and Kamory Doumbia among those sidelined.

Fringe players Noah Holm and Mitchell van Bergen will miss out, while Myziane Maolida is still recovering from illness.

Still is often reluctant to make unenforced changes to his side though, and an unchanged side could be on the cards.

Angers will be without eight first team players for their trip to the North East.

Algerian duo Faouzi Ghoulam and Farid El Melali are among those out, while captain Pierrick Capelle is absent with a thigh issue.

Amine Salama and Lois Diony are out in attack, along with Ilyes Chetti and Ali Kalla, the latter who has not featured at all this season.

Reims possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Busi, Agbadou, Abdelhamid, Foket; Matusiwa, Cajuste, Munetsi; Flips, Balogun, Ito

Angers possible starting lineup:

Bernardoni; Thioub, Valery, Blazic, Bamba, Kalumba; Bentaleb, Mendy, Abdelli; Niane, Sima

We say: Reims 1-0 Angers

Angers have lost five in a row and now look like a side who will struggle to pick up another point before dropping down into Ligue 2.

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