The Saharan sand carried by the wind which dressed the metropolis of Saint-Etienne this Saturday is perhaps a sign. The signs of a summer when AS Saint-Étienne won in its den of Geoffroy-Guichard. We have to go back to September 14 and a victory against Strasbourg (2-0) to find traces of success at home. Almost five months have passed.
“There aren’t many teams that are masters at home this season, answers Claude Puel. I regret the absence of our supporters. We know what our cauldron symbolizes and what they bring us. In difficult times, our 12th man allows us to scare the adversary and he gives us extra strength. With them we can think that we would have taken more points at home“.
What face against Metz?
In view of the health situation, there is little hope of seeing spectators return to the cauldron in the coming weeks. Facing Metz, the Stéphanois will therefore only be able to count on themselves. What face will they show? That tasteless, without idea and without inspiration of the first period against Nantes? Or the one more conquerors of the second half or the match in Nice? ASSE is still on AC this season. Never really where you expect it to be. Always in reaction, never in action.
A workforce almost complete, Aouchiche in reserve
Against FC Metz, surprising 6th in Ligue 1, Claude Puel will be able to count on almost all of his workforce. Only Mathieu Debuchy will be missing (no victory this season without the captain) and Yvann Maçon, injured for a long time. So many players available, it has not happened often this season. Claude Puel had to divide his workforce into two groups and even organized a friendly meeting between the reserve of ASSE and that of Clermont Foot this Sunday morning. Adil Aouchiche, removed from the group for the first time this season, should play this meeting at the Robert Herbin sports center.