Preview: Saint-Etienne vs. Dijon - prediction, team news, lineups

Saint-Etienne take on Dijon in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with the hosts hoping to sneak into the top half of the table on the final day.

Dijon, meanwhile, have lost 16 of their last 17 league matches and had their relegation confirmed last month.

Match preview

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After a dreadful start to the season, with relegation not looking an unlikely prospect at all, former Leicester City manager Claude Puel has successfully turned things around at St Etienne.

Les Verts secured their safety with two matches remaining by beating Marseille 1-0 recently, before earning a hugely credible 0-0 draw at league leaders Lille last weekend.

Puel's side proved stubborn opponents for Lille, who would have taken a huge step towards winning the Ligue 1 title had they found a winner at any stage.

Instead, St Etienne moved level on points with 10th-placed Metz, who host Marseille on the final day. Should Puel's side better Metz's result, they will secure a top-half finish for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.

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Dijon, meanwhile, can only dream of such a lofty position after a dreadful campaign has culminated in their five-year stay in Ligue 1 coming to an end.

After taking 15 points from their opening 20 matches, David Linares's side looked capable of at least remaining competitive in their attempts to survive.

However, a subsequent Ligue 1 record of 12 consecutive defeats ensured that they were dead and buried, with Les Hiboux losing four of their five games since that run, too.

They were simply hapless last time out during a 4-0 home defeat to 18th-placed Nantes, who kept their own hopes of survival alive in the process.

Linares will be hoping for a response from his players against St Etienne on Sunday to rescue at least a fraction of pride ahead of the club's attempts to bounce back at the first time of asking in Ligue 2 next season.

Team News

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St Etienne remain without Harold Moukoudi, Jessy Moulin, Anthony Modeste and Yvann Macon due to injury.

Puel is unlikely to make any changes to the XI which performed so resolutely during the draw with Lille last weekend.

Dijon's treatment table remains an extremely busy one, meanwhile, with Frederic Sammaritano, Arthur Zagre, Sacha Boey, Anibal Chala, Pape Diop Cheikh, Wesley Lautoa, Roger Assale and Yassine Benzia all unlikely to travel due to injury.

Aboubakar Kamara, who is on loan from Fulham, could replace Jacques Siwe in attack.

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Green; Debuchy, Sow, Kolodziejczak, Trauco; Nordin, Camara, Neyou, Bouanga; Hamouma, Khazri

Dijon possible starting lineup:
Allagbe; Chafik, Coulibaly, Manga, Panzo, Ngonda; Ebimbe, Marie, Chouiar; Kamara, Konate

We say: Saint-Etienne 2-0 Dijon

We expect St Etienne to end the season with a comfortable victory against already-relegated Dijon.

Puel's side can earn a top-half position with a win, so they will be hoping for a favour from Marseille against 10th-placed Metz.