Match Report
The table gap was wide: 36 points between Saint-Étienne (3rd, 65 pts) and Valenciennes (20th, 29 pts). On the form table Valenciennes stood 2nd over the last five rounds, despite being 20th overall. Per game in the league, Valenciennes were scoring 0.68 and conceding 1.42, Saint-Étienne 1.26 and 0.82, against a competition average of 1.23 goals per team per game.
Valenciennes's winless run stood at 7. Saint-Étienne's unbeaten run stood at 6. Valenciennes had banked 3 of the last 15 points on offer; Saint-Étienne, 13.
The head-to-head ledger counts 12 games: 2 Valenciennes wins, 6 for Saint-Étienne, 4 draws, at 1.75 goals per meeting. Only 42% of these meetings ended in a home win. More than two goals is the exception here — seen in 25% of meetings.
Stade du Hainaut in Valenciennes, capacity 24,926, hosted the game. Saint-Étienne led 2-0 at the break — the second half brought no more goals and it finished 0-2.