Saturday Preview: Reims-Lille, Monaco-Sainté
Stade de Reims - LOSC Lille
While this may seem like a match that's likely to swing in favor of the hosts, given Lille's array of attacking talent and Reims' somewhat underwhelming transfer window, there could yet be a pit of spice here as Luka Elsner and Bruno Génésio make their debuts in charge of their new teams. Lille have done well this offseason to keep hold of Jonathan David, the Canadian international who is the league's top returning scorer, but with a more pressing obligation next midweek in the Champions League playoff, David may find himself on the bench as Génésio plays a heavily rotated team. Already without the suspended duo of captain Benjamin André and winger Edon Zhegrova, the visitors are likely to call on Aissa Mandi to face his former side, the Algerian having been sent off in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Elsner will be no doubt eager to get one over on his opposite number, despite having lost several important player over the summer. He'll also have some key absences here, with captain Teddy Teuma suspended and attackers Mohamed Daramy and Kamory Doumbia injured. Without that trio, the attacking duties will fall to the team's two Japanese internationals, wingers Junya Ito and Keito Nakamura, the two having combined for seven goals and eight assists last season. Fresh off a tour of their home country in the summer, they'll no doubt be eager to start the season well.
🇯🇵🤝🇫🇷#ReimsJapanTour2024 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/0AZJACuT96
— Stade de Reims (@StadeDeReims) August 3, 2024
AS Monaco - AS Saint-Étienne
In the final match on Saturday, a revamped AS Monaco will welcome promoted AS Saint-Étienne to the Stade-Louis II. The Monégasques are still weeks from starting their own European adventure, but off the back of a summer in which they've worked hard to bring in promising young players from within the league in the form of Christian Mawissa from Toulouse FC and Lamine Camara from FC Metz. The two are both in the frame to start for Adi Hütter's side, who should record a comfortable win despite the absence of attacking maestro Aleksandr Golovin through injury.
Les Verts will themselves be coping with injuries, missing more than a half dozen first team players, and could be hard-pressed to offer much against the Principality side. Speaking in a prematch press conference, manager Olivier Dall'Oglio was realistic, but unbowed about giving the hosts all they can handle. "We know it will be very challenging, but we are going there with our weapons of the moment: youth, enthusiasm, courage. We do not have all our resources for this match, but we will have to be present with our values."
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