Auxerre vs St Etienne Match Preview

Auxerre reached the playoff finals after winning 1-0 against Sochaux after the penalty kicks. In the regular season, they were a bit unlucky to finish third just one point behind the second spot which got a direct ticket for Ligue 1. Anyway, they have shown they are a decent team and will have their say in these two legs.

They had the second-best attack in the league with 61 goals scored, second only to Toulouse which scored 82. They had two players in double digits, Charbonier 17 goals - 7 assists and Hein 11 goals - 7 assists. Even their defensive side was quite solid with 39 goals conceded. At home, they are unbeaten in the last five matches collecting five wins.

St Etienne, on the other hand, managed to finish 18th in Ligue 1 and was lucky enough to have a last chance with a playout duel. They snatched a 1-1 draw in the final game which allowed them to finish one point above Metz because if they had lost that game they couldn't have avoided the relegation because of the goal difference.

In fact, they had the second worst defensive side with 77 goals conceded which means more than two goals per game. In the last five matches, they failed to keep a single clean sheet conceding a total of 13 goals. On the road, their performances were quite poor with only three wins over 19 matches played. Their last win on the road dates back in February.

In conclusion, I think Auxerre can manage to win this match or get at least a draw out of it. They might be a team with slightly lower quality but they come in a better form and higher morale as they are unbeaten in the last nine duels. St Etienne might try their best to come out with a draw out of here but that is as far as I can see them going.