Relegation six-pointers are always highly stressful affairs, but there is one in France that’s even more poignant and complicated due to the long-standing history and its weight on the players.Bordeaux are in the relegation zone, and Saint-Etienne are hovering just above it. During such a terrible season, the fans like to remember the good old days. And boy, have these two clubs good days to remember. Girondins have won the title in France six times, with the last of those coming in the 2008/09 season. Their tonight’s visitors, Les Verts, are still the club with the most Ligue 1 titles – ten in total. Although three decades have passed since the last one, Saint-Etienne are considered one of the big clubs in the land of World Cup holders. 📊 Demain aura lieu la 120ème rencontre entre Bordeaux et Saint-Etienne en L1. C’est tout simplement l’affiche la plus disputée de l’histoire du championnat. #ASSE #FCGBASSE pic.twitter.com/wUo9hsMgUW— 𝑺𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆́ 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 (@SainteInside) April 19, 2022 Between them, they’ve also got a long-standing history. Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne will face each other for the 120th time in their history in Ligue 1, a record in the French championship. The Girondins lead by a fine margin with 44 wins compared to Les Verts’ 43. There have also been 32 draws.Bordeaux have improved lately, possibly in the nick of time to save their skins. They have won two of their last five home league games (with also a draw and two defeats), which is more than the number of wins in their first 11 (a win, four draws and six losses). They will have to make the most out of their mini-revival in the match against ASSE.Jour de match, jour de rencontre capitale !Tous au stade, tous avec les Marine et Blanc 🔵⚪ #FCGBASSE pic.twitter.com/SeQ9nSFF9G— FC Girondins de Bordeaux (@girondins) April 20, 2022 The visitors’ coach Pascal Dupraz is taking the relegation fight so seriously that he’s even asked his Muslim players, who make up around two-thirds of the squad, to stop fasting for Ramadan, so they could be as strong physically as possible.Dupraz has not hesitated to publicly criticise his players, particularly club captain Wahbi Khazri, while the defence is expected to be overhauled for the coming games. For instance, team vice-captain Timothee Kolodziejczak was substituted during their scarring 6-2 defeat at Lorient and is not expected to feature soon.📌 Bordeaux ! 🌧️ pic.twitter.com/jkAD8wUfr3— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) April 19, 2022 With all the drama at the bottom of the standings, you’d be forgiven for not knowing that PSG could be crowned champions tonight. If they win at SCO Angers and Olympique de Marseille fail to beat Nantes at home, the Parisians would secure the title with five matchdays to spare. However, the Saints will be without Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti. Messi has inflammation in his left Achilles while Verratti is out with a knee problem. Centre back Presnel Kimpembe will also miss out. It’s a strange mood to win the title, with the overall spirit within the club less than satisfactory. Not even the victory over bitter rivals Marseille could make the PSG fans forget about their painful Champions League exit.⚽️ @Ligue1_ENG’𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻!⏰ 7 pm CET – 5⃣ matches⏰ 9 pm CET – 5⃣ matches#HappyWednesday ✨ pic.twitter.com/FjJ9za9tDo— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 20, 2022 Poor Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne fans couldn’t care less about the championship race, though. Their long-standing history of league clashes might end tonight for some time. Or maybe even worse – it could continue in France’s second tier.LIGUE 1 – ROUND 33Wednesday20:00: (3.80) Reims (3.15) Lille (2.30)20:00: (2.35) Troyes (3.15) Clermont (3.30)20:00: (2.55) Bordeaux (3.35) Saint-Etienne (3.05)20:00: (1.94) Monaco (3.60) Nice (4.40)20:00: (1.87) Lorient (3.50) Metz (5.10)22:00: (2.70) Strasbourg (3.30) Rennes (2.90)22:00: (5.00) Brest (3.70) Olympique Lyon (1.84)22:00: (1.65) Olympique Marseille (3.80) Nantes (5.90)22:00: (1.84) Lens (3.70) Montpellier (5.00)22:00: (6.00) Angers (4.00) PSG (1.60)***odds are subject to change***
