Two Ligue 1 sides hovering just above the relegation zone will lock horns on Sunday afternoon as Bordeaux welcome Reims to the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.
The visitors have failed to win each of their last three away matches, while the hosts are one of four French top-flight teams who are yet to win on home soil so far this season.
Match preview
Bordeaux's winless run was extended to five matches when they played out a 1-1 draw away against Lorient last weekend.
Honduras forward Alberth Elis scored his first goal of the campaign just seconds after the restart to put the visitors in front, before Julien Laporte equalised in the 76th minute with a towering header inside the six-yard box.
Bordeaux have now drawn four of their last five Ligue 1 matches and six times in total so far this season; only Lorient and Brest have drawn as many games at this stage.
Les Girondins remain in 17th place, three points above the relegation zone and two points behind Sunday's opponents Reims.
Bordeaux have failed to win any of their opening five league matches on home soil, claiming three draws and suffering two defeats. Vladimir Petkovic's men are now looking to avoid a run of six successive games without a home win for the first time since 2011-12.
Les Girondins head into this weekend's clash, however, having lost each of their last three home meetings against Reims, including a 3-1 defeat in December 2020. In fact, they have lost 44% of their matches against the Red and Whites in Ligue 1, their highest losing rate against a top-flight opponent they have faced at least 10 times.
An inconsistent run of one victory, two draws and three defeats in their last six games has seen Reims slip down the Ligue 1 standings to 16th place, five points above the drop zone.
A 1-1 draw away against a winless Brest outfit was followed by a 2-1 home defeat against Troyes, a game they were leading after just six minutes when defender Yunis Abdelhamid headed in at the back post.
However, strikes either side of half time from Mama Balde and Xavier Chavalerin turned the game on its head for the visitors, condemning the hosts to their fourth defeat of the campaign.
Only Brest (4) have won fewer Ligue 1 matches in 2021 than Reims (7) among teams present in the competition over the whole year. The Red and Whites do, however, head to the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux unbeaten in their last six away games against Bordeaux.
Victory for Oscar Garcia's side on Sunday could see them move as high as 12th place in the table, level on points with Strasbourg, who will be their next away opponent in a few weeks' time.
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Team News
Bordeaux will be without Josh Maja (back), Ui-Jo Hwang (ankle) and Paul Baysse (knee) due to injury, while Issouf Sissokho is unavailable with illness.
Jean Onana will serve a one-match suspension, following his dismissal last weekend, however Otavio is back from his one-game ban and will be in contention to start in midfield.
Veteran defender Laurent Koscielny is set to start again in the heart of the defence alongside Stian Rode Gregersen, while Elis and Javairo Dilrosun will likely keep their partnership up front.
As for Reims, they will be without Thomas Foket (calf), Marshall Munetsi (muscle), Fraser Hornby (muscle) and Arber Zeneli (knee) due to injury.
Centre-back Andrew Gravillon is unavailable as he was sent off in stoppage time against Troyes, so Garcia may decide to switch to a back four as a result and hand Fode Doucoure a start at right-back.
Forward El Bilal Toure is yet to score in six league appearances, but the 20-year-old is expected to keep his place in the first XI alongside Mitchell van Bergen.
Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Costil; Kwateng, Rode Gregerson, Koscielny, Mangas; Otavio, Oudin, Adli; Briand; Elis, Dilrosun
Reims possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Doucoure, Abdelhamid, Faes, Konan; Flips, Matusiwa, Cassama, Donis; Van Bergen, Toure
We say: Bordeaux 1-1 Reims
Both teams will fancy their chances of claiming all three points on Sunday, as they look to turn their fortunes around and climb away from the Ligue 1 drop zone.
However, with little to separate these two struggling sides, a score draw could be on the cards at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.
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