Ligue 2: Saint-Étienne vs Laval! With 6 defenders and the attacking core missing, how many goals will Laval concede?

Yesterday's FA Cup went well, with Arsenal fielding 10 of the 11 starters we anticipated, and the outcome was decent.

There are two cup games tonight as well, but since it's still early, the team selections might vary.

So, let's start today by discussing the Ligue 2 match: Saint-Étienne vs Laval!

Saint-Étienne can truly be called a very "peculiar" team.

They have retained many Ligue 1 caliber players, boasting the highest squad value in Ligue 2, yet their performance ranks dead last... it's really disappointing.

However, a few days ago they welcomed a "targeted savior." Can this savior help them bounce back?

Saint-Étienne's offense is solid; they've scored 24 goals so far, just one less than Ligue 2 leaders Le Havre’s 25, which fits their status as the highest-valued squad in the league.

The main issue lies in defense — they've conceded 31 goals, the most in Ligue 2, which is terribly poor.

Here’s the question: despite having a decent defensive lineup and facing relatively few shots — 17 matches with an average of 17.3 shots against, only 7 teams have fewer in Ligue 2 — why have they conceded so many goals?

The problem is with the goalkeeper; their keeper has been really bad...

With an average save rate of 54%, the worst in Ligue 2... you could say he’s a huge liability.

Are they aware of this problem? Yes, they have already changed four goalkeepers this season!

Their best keeper, Dreyer, has a save rate of only 63.6%, ranking fourth worst in Ligue 2. Don’t think he’s terrible — ever since he got injured, Saint-Étienne hasn’t even had him available.

The good news is, the savior has arrived.

On January 6th, they signed Valenciennes’ first-choice goalkeeper Lassana.

Lassana boasts an impressive 82.2% save rate this season, second best in Ligue 2! Compared to Saint-Étienne’s previous keepers, it’s a world of difference.

Valenciennes didn’t want to let him go, but Lassana actually belongs to Brest and was only on loan to Valenciennes. Saint-Étienne offered a lot, so the loan was transferred to them.

So, Saint-Étienne’s attack isn’t a problem, and defense issues mainly stemmed from a poor goalkeeper.

Now that this weakest link is fixed, do they have hope?

Coincidentally, Laval’s lineup today is very weak.

They released their squad list officially, and besides their top scorer being absent, six defenders are also missing!

Laval’s best performance this season was a 4-0 win over strong team Caen, but all three starting central defenders from that match are missing today.

Why have they conceded 8 goals in the last two games? Because their defense is severely understaffed.

Moreover, their top scorer Maggiotti has scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists this season; Laval has scored 22 goals in total, meaning nearly half come from him.

Laval’s defense is already the second worst in Ligue 2, relying on their offense to compensate for defensive weaknesses, but now their attacking core is absent? That makes things tough.

Saint-Étienne is very popular in France, having won the Ligue 1 title 10 times, tied for first with Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille.

If such a club drops to the third division, it would be a huge commercial blow to French football.

Overall, facing an opponent plagued by injuries and absences, can they satisfy their fans? What do you think? I’m hoping they secure the three points.

Alright, for today’s other matches, I will still send text analysis in the evening. If anything is unclear, feel free to ask me. Let’s watch the games with understanding and don’t miss out!

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