AS Saint-Étienne captain Julien Le Cardinal returns to the central defense and Mamour Ndiaye makes his first start for the club as the league leaders visit Stade Bauer to face the Red Star on Friday night, ASSE reported.

Stade Bauer Hosts Top-of-the-Table Ligue 2 Clash

The 9th round of the Ligue 2 season brings a high-stakes fixture to Saint-Ouen as Red Star hosts AS Saint-Étienne at Stade Bauer with kickoff set for 20:00 local time (UTC+2), according to live match coverage from Ouest-France. Saint-Étienne enters the fixture at the top of the league table with 19 points, while Red Star sits second with 17 points after stringing together a four-match winning streak against Laval, Metz, Guingamp, and Clermont.

The fixture marks a significant milestone for Red Star’s home ground, featuring a newly constructed stand designed to bring the club’s most fervent supporters closer to the pitch, L’Équipe reported. Red Star manager insists the team will maintain its usual tactical approach, emphasizing that squad cohesion and internal routines remain the primary obsession ahead of welcoming the league leaders, as reported by RMC  Sport.

Confirmed Starting Lineups and Squad Absences

AS Saint-Étienne manager has named a starting XI featuring Pedro, Julien Le Cardinal, Nair, Old, Bernauer, Csongvai, Boakye, Brem, Dallo, Cardona, and Mamour Ndiaye, who earns his first confirmed start in the squad, Ouest-France reported. The visiting side travels without several sidelined players, including Larsonneur, Lamba, Traoré, Svetlin, Paalberg, and Eymard.

👥 Le XI stéphanois pour ce gros #REDASSE! 💚 Première confirmée pour Mamour Ndiaye et retour du capitaine Julien Le Cardinal dans l’axe! 👊

— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) October 17, 2026

Red Star counters with a starting lineup that includes Poussin in goal, supported by Huard, Zidane, Escartin, Durand, Cissé, Renel, Halifa, Durivaux, Ikanga, and Kyeremeh, alongside a first start for Godson and the return of Matthieu, according to match reports. Red Star’s absentee list features Guindo, Lemonnier, Diaxara, Trani, Cabral, Ahamada, and Lahmer.

Recent Form and Standings Implications

Saint-Étienne arrives in Saint-Ouen looking to solidify its status as title favorites after experiencing a brief dip in form with a defeat against Dunkerque and a draw against Metz, followed by a bounce-back 2-1 victory over Rodez last week, Ouest-France noted. Meanwhile, Red Star holds an opportunity to leapfrog Saint-Étienne into first place if the hosts secure a victory on home turf.