AS Saint-Étienne (ASSE) starts October with a trip to Boulogne for the 9th day of Ligue 2, a crucial match in the maintenance race. This match marks a return of Zoumana Camara, former Stéphanese defender now coach of the MHSC, creating a parallel with the return of Jean Louis Gasset to the bench of Montpellier last season. The ASSE entered this game with confidence regained after a convincing victory against Rodez (4-0), a performance that reassured the fans and showed an offensive and defensive improvement. Despite this positive momentum, the team has to deal with the lack of key players such as Maxime Bernauer, Benjamin Bouchouaari and Djylian N

The match against Rodez in April 2025 illustrates the fragility of Ligue 2 retention. The ASSE led 2-0 before the meeting was interrupted due to incidents in the gallery, leading to the approval of the 0-2 score in favour of Montpellier and the sanction of closing the gallery concerned. This defeat deprived Montpellier of a valuable point in the struggle for maintenance, indirectly giving the ASSE a crucial victory. However, the Greens were unable to capitalize on this success and ended up just above the relegation. The team is therefore about to confirm its positive dynamic against Boulogne, while keeping in mind the challenges related to absences and the need to be wary of an opponent capable of rapid counter-attacks.

Coach Eirik Horneland confirmed that all players available against Rodez are available for this trip. The integration of Stojkovic could provide additional defensive reinforcement. The team must, however, be cautious in the face of Boulogne, who does not hesitate to play the counters and to take advantage of the other mistakes. The meeting will be broadcasted on beIN SPORTS and represents an important challenge for ASSE, which seeks to consolidate its position in the Ligue 2 maintenance race. The absences of Bernauer, Bouchouaari and N-Guessa remain a point of vigilance, but the return of Stassin and the integration of Duffuss are valuable assets for this meeting.