Rodez face league leaders Saint-Étienne on Saturday night in Ligue 2. The match will be played at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Saturday 10 October at 8pm, for the eighth round of the championship.
The fixture pits two teams on different trajectories early in the season. Saint-Étienne sit top of Ligue 2, while Rodez hold a solid fourth place with seven points from four games. The Ruthénois, however, arrive on a run of three consecutive defeats, the latest a 3-4 home loss to Nancy on 18 September.
This trip to the leaders is a major test to confirm Rodez's strong start. The starting eleven will need to be more defensively solid after conceding seven goals in four matchdays. The attack can rely on I. Baldé, the team's top scorer with five goals. The full schedule of upcoming games is on our fixtures page.
Historically, the task is daunting. Saint-Étienne lead the head-to-head with four wins and four draws to just two victories for Rodez. The last visit to the Chaudron was last season and ended in a draw.
The team must quickly turn the page after the dramatic loss to Nancy, where Raphael Lipinski and Jean Lambert Evan's found the net. The manager's lineup will be under scrutiny, with potential changes to restore stability. The squad status ahead of this key encounter can be checked on our squad page.
Kick-off is at 8pm this Saturday. A reactionary performance could see Rodez close to within two points of the leaders.
Background and full detail: LiveFoot
