Troyes have a chance to end a 10-match winless run at home in Ligue 1 when they host Monaco on Sunday at Stade de l'Aube.
Last weekend, ESTAC lost their fifth successive domestic affair, 2-1 at Ajaccio, putting them in the relegation zone, while Les Monegasques failed to gain any ground on second-place Marseille, dropping a 3-0 decision at home to Nice.
Match preview
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For the first 45 minutes last Sunday, it looked like something good would finally come Troyes' way before they fell apart in the second half.
Falling apart would accurately describe how life at this club has been since Patrick Kisnorbo replaced Bruno Irles as manager, with ESTAC winning just one of their last 10 domestic affairs under the Australian.
That form has them second from the bottom, two points below the relegation line and on their longest losing run in the top flight since dropping seven in a row between February and April 2016.
Last August, they ended a five-match losing run versus Monaco in this competition, beating them 4-2, and a triumph this weekend would mark the first time ever that they manage a league double against them.
Their previous victory over Les Monegasques was the first for Troyes against them since the 2001-02 campaign, and it was also the last time they beat Monaco at home in the top-flight (3-0).
Fans of ESTAC have had little to cheer about when the home team has taken to the field this year, with just one point from four domestic encounters at Stade de l'Aube in 2023, having been outscored 7-2 over that stretch.
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Perhaps still reeling from their heartbreaking exit in the Europa League days earlier, Monaco looked flat from the opening whistle last Sunday against their biggest Ligue 1 rivals.
Philippe Clement's men trailed 3-0 at the interval against Nice, allowing more goals in a single half than in their three previous domestic encounters combined (two).
As a result, they missed an opportunity to leapfrog Marseille for second, with OM falling 3-0 at home to Paris Saint-Germain.
The defeat versus Nice was the first time in 34 Ligue 1 contests that Monaco failed to find the back of the net, but they have not had problems scoring versus Troyes, notching multiple goals in six consecutive matches against them.
Failing to score is rare for this team, while not doing it on consecutive occasions is even rarer as Les Monegasques have not been shut out of back-to-back Ligue 1 encounters since October-November 2021 (two).
Going on the road might be the best medicine to cure their recent ills, as they are unbeaten in eight consecutive matches in all competitions away from home.
Team News
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Karim Azamoum will not be available for Troyes until the middle of this month due to an ACL issue, Florian Tardieu is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, Lucien Agoume will be suspended, as will Mama Balde, who received two cautions in five minutes against Ajaccio after putting his side ahead in the opening half.
Balde had a goal and an assist when Troyes defeated Les Monegasques in the Principality earlier this season, with the other strikes coming from Tardieu, Yoann Salmier and Wilson Odobert.
Captain Adil Rami has started the last two games for ESTAC at centre-back after sitting out of every previous match this year, while the suspension to Balde could open the door for Ike Ugbo to be in the starting 11 for the first time in 2023.
Vanderson and Guillermo Maripan remain sidelined for Monaco and will not be available until the middle of March because of knee injuries, while Gelson Martins returned to the lineup versus Nice, replacing Eliesse Ben Seghir for the final nine minutes plus stoppage time.
After nearly stopping the decisive penalty kick from Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League, Alexander Nubel conceded more goals in his last Ligue 1 fixture than in any domestic encounter this year, while Aleksandr Golovin saw his two-match scoring streak in the top-flight come to an end.
Wissam Ben Yedder has failed to find the back of the net in his last two domestic affairs, but is still third in the Ligue 1 Golden Boot race with 14 goals, while Golovin and Myron Boadu scored in their previous road outing when they defeated Brest 2-1.
Troyes possible starting lineup:
Gallon; Porozo, Palmer-Brown, Salmier; Bruus, Agoume, Chavalerin, Conte; Lopes, Odobert; Ugbo
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Nubel; Matsima, Disasi, Sarr, Henrique; Camara; Fofana, Matazo, Golovin; Embolo, Ben Seghir
We say: Troyes 0-3 Monaco
Neither side are in great form at the moment, but Troyes have been a mess defensively in 2023, and we expect the Monaco quality to overwhelm them on Sunday.
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