Strasbourg vs Auxerre Prediction: Panichelli to poach another goal

RC Strasbourg suffered their first defeat of the month on Sunday, losing 2-1 at Lyon, so Liam Rosenior's side will be desperate to make amends on Wednesday (20:05 BST, Ligue 1 Pass) when they welcome AJ Auxerre, whose winless run stretched to four games last weekend, to the Stade de la Meinau.

Below are my Strasbourg vs Auxerre predictions, accompanied by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this midweek fixture in Ligue 1.

Team News

Strasbourg defender Ismael Doukoure, who scored an own-goal against Lyon on Sunday, is suspended after receiving a straight red card in the 67th minute of that defeat at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

Saidou Sow (knee), Emanuel Emegha (hamstring), Maxi Oyedele (muscle) and Abakar Sylla (unspecified) are also sidelined, while Ben Chilwell and Samuel Amo-Ameyaw (both unspecified) are doubtful.

Football Odds

As for Auxerre, Nathan Buayi-Kiala and Telli Siwe (both knee) miss out, with Kevin Danois (unspecified) doubtful after missing Sunday's 1-0 defeat at home to Le Havre.

Strasbourg vs Auxerre Odds

Strasbourg won both meetings last season, triumphing 3-1 at home on January 5 and 1-0 away on March 2. Le Racing are 8/11 to claim a third head-to-head victory of the calendar year, implying a 57.9% probability of success, while AJA are 18/5, or a 21.7% chance, to secure just their third three points of the season.

The draw is priced at 11/4, both teams to score at 8/11, and over 2.5 total goals at 4/5.

First Goalscorer - Joaquin Panichelli (STR) @ 4/1

Joaquin Panichelli, it would seem, is inevitable.

Strasbourg's big summer signing from Deportivo Alaves, who struck 21 times in 44 La Liga 2 appearances on loan at Mirandes last season, has made a sensational start to life in France.

The 23-year-old has scored eight goals in nine Ligue 1 games, only failing to fire in a 3-2 victory at Paris FC on September 21 and, as a 62nd-minute substitute, in a 2-1 home defeat to Olympique Marseille five days later.

Today's Football Fixtures

Panichelli has also found the net once in his only league phase appearance in this season's Uefa Conference League, and that was as a second-half substitute in last Thursday's 1-1 draw with Jagiellonia.

The Argentine has struck in his last four appearances, notching six times since the start of the month, and in two of those matches, including at Lyon last Sunday, he opened the scoring, making it four opening strikes for the season.

Auxerre have conceded first in six of their nine games this term, and look vulnerable to an early Panichelli goal on Wednesday.

Player to Have 1 or More Shots on Target - Danny Namaso (AJA) @ 4/6

Danny Namaso, formerly Danny Loader, joined Auxerre on loan from FC Porto in August and has impressed in a struggling side, netting two of their seven Ligue 1 goals this season.

The 25-year-old struck his first goal for the club in a 1-0 victory over Toulouse on September 21, and doubled his tally in a 2-2 draw at Stade Rennais on October 19.

Namaso is averaging 2.5 shots per game and 0.9 shots on target per game in Ligue 1, either scoring or forcing a save from the goalkeeper in five of his seven starts, including his last two.

Strasbourg have conceded five goals across their last two league games, and have seen their goalkeeper, on-loan Chelsea shot-stopper Mike Penders, make six and two saves against Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon, respectively, so Namaso will fancy his chances of at least testing the Belgian between the sticks on Wednesday.

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