1. Main Players Comparison
Strasbourg
- Core: Andrey Santos (32 apps, 2857 mins, 10A, 3G – midfield anchor), Guéla Doué (32 apps, 2717 mins, 1G, 2A), Ismaël Doukouré (31 apps, 2647 mins, 1G, 1A).
- Attack: Emanuel Emegha (27 apps, 2308 mins, 14G, 3A – key striker), Sebastian Nanasi (31 apps, 2124 mins, 6G, 4A), Dilane Bakwa (30 apps, 2512 mins, 6G, 8A).
- Support: Diego Moreira (32 apps, 2580 mins, 7G, 2A), Habib Diarra (30 apps, 2357 mins, 5G, 4A).
- Output: ~41 goals + assists from key attackers.
- Stability: Strong offensive spine (Emegha, Bakwa, Nanasi), but departures (Diarra, Sarr, Petrovic) slightly weaken depth.
Nantes
- Core: Matthis Abline (34 apps, 2789 mins, 9G, 2A), Moses Simon (32 apps, 2626 mins, 10G, 8A – top scorer), Pedro Chirivella (30 apps, 2363 mins, 2A).
- Defense: Jean-Charles Castelletto (30 apps, 2623 mins – now left), Kelvin Amian (30 apps, 2165 mins, 1A), Nicolas Pallois (26 apps, 2020 mins, 2G).
- Support: Douglas Augusto (28 apps, 2317 mins, 2G, 4A).
- Output: ~23 goals + 14 assists from front line.
- Stability: Key exits (Castelletto, Chirivella, Simon) reduce both defensive solidity and attacking spark.
2. New Players Comparison
Strasbourg:
- Valentín Barco (14 apps, 1166 mins, 2A), Soumaïla Coulibaly (7 apps, 438 mins), Abakar Sylla (21 apps, 948 mins, 1G), Sékou Mara (25 apps, 761 mins, 1G, 1A).
- Output: ~2G, ~3A. Mostly defensive depth, moderate attacking input.
Nantes:
- Sorba Thomas (25 apps, 1327 mins, 1G, 3A), Mostafa Mohamed (30 apps, 1247 mins, 5G), Louis Leroux (16 apps, 814 mins, 2G, 1A), Tino Kadewere (12 apps, 513 mins, 1G, 2A).
- Output: ~9G, ~6A. Stronger attacking signings compared to Strasbourg.
3. Substitutes Comparison
Strasbourg:
- Sam Amo-Ameyaw (9 apps, 319 mins, 2G), Abdoul Ouattara (17 apps, 463 mins, 1G, 1A), Caleb Wiley (6 apps, 268 mins, 1A).
- Total: ~3G, ~2A. Limited but promising young contributors.
Nantes:
- Mostafa Mohamed (1247 mins, 5G), Leroux (814 mins, 2G, 1A), Kadewere (513 mins, 1G, 2A), Herba Guirassy (19 apps, 337 mins, 2G).
- Total: ~10G, ~3A. More experienced and productive bench.
4. Consolidated Quality Scorecard
Category | Strasbourg ⭐ Rating | Nantes ⭐ Rating |
Main Players | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (41 G+A, Emegha focal) | ⭐⭐⭐ (23G, 14A, Simon gone) |
New Players | ⭐⭐ (2G, 3A, defensive depth) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (9G, 6A, Mohamed key) |
Substitutes | ⭐⭐ (3G, 2A, youthful) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (10G, 3A, stronger depth) |
Overall Depth | Attack-oriented, solid spine | Strong bench, weaker starting XI |
Key Weakness | Lost Petrovic, Diarra | Lost Simon, Castelletto, Chirivella |
5. Injuries & Suspensions (with impact)
Strasbourg:
- No major injuries listed among current squad. Depth slightly reduced due to summer departures.
Nantes:
- Several defensive and midfielders gone (Castelletto, Chirivella, Pallois aging). Injuries not explicitly noted but squad transitions show weakened balance.
6. Predicted Outcome
Momentum & Depth: Strasbourg stronger in their first-choice XI with Emegha, Bakwa, and Nanasi providing firepower.
Bench Impact: Nantes’ substitutes can swing late moments, but their starting XI lost too many pillars.
Defensive Solidity: Strasbourg remain more stable at the back despite Petrovic’s exit, while Nantes are fragile after Castelletto’s departure.
Likely Result: Strasbourg edge the tie with offensive balance and defensive spine.
Expected Scoreline:
- Strasbourg 2 – 1 Nantes
