Currently two points clear of Nantes at the top of the league, the capital club will be hoping to hold on to that lead throughout the winter break. To do so, they will need to fend off the onslaught of The H, who are also still unbeaten in the Liqui Moly StarLigue this season. So far, Grégory Cojean's men have dropped just two points in the race for the title: on the opening day at Chambéry (34-34), then at Montpellier in mid-October (31-31).
As far as the Parisians are concerned, their start to the season in the elite could hardly have gone better. With fifteen wins from as many games, Stefan Madsen's men are in stunning form, and they will be hoping to continue this run on Thursday to move four points clear of their main title rivals.
With 532 top-flight goals scored so far this season , Nantes have the best attack in the league - ahead of our Rouge et Bleu (496), who have the best defence with just 395 goals conceded. With a reputation for never slowing down even when victory seems assured, The H have reached the 40-goal mark in seven encounters across the first 14 matchdays.
This Nantes side has all the weapons it needs in the race for the title, and has players capable of proving decisive in every position. At the back, Ignacio Biosca is still in doubt after missing the derby against Cesson-Rennes last weekend. As a result, veteran Ivan Pesic could once again be in charge of the Purple goal.
On the right flank, coach Gregory Cojean can rely on two options combining talent and experience, with Ayyoub Abdi and Julien Bos. In the pivot position, Nicolas Tournat is still the lynchpin at the heart of Nantes' game. However, he is far from being the only essential member of the squad. On the left, Thibaud Briet is in splendid form and combines reliably with Romain Lagarde, even though the latter has been absent for several weeks.
On the attacking front, left-winger Kauldi Odriozola and centre-halves Tarrafeta and O'Brian Nyateur are all doubtful. The squad is nonetheless of the highest quality, with Aymeric Minne and Noam Leopold occupying second and third place respectively in the top flight's top scorers' charts with 103 and 100 goals. Not to mention Nantes captain Valero Rivera, who is playing in the 23rd and final season of his career.
The final matchday of the year kicks off on Thursday with the duel between Limoges and Chartres. Beaten at Coubertin last weekend, the former will need to win to ensure they spend the winter in the European places. At the same time as the clash between Nantes and our Rouge et Bleus, Dunkerque travel to Cesson-Rennes with the aim of getting a result to lift themselves out of the relegation zone.
On Friday, Montpellier host Saint-Raphaël in a top-of-the-table clash, while Sélestat will be looking for a second-straight win against Dijon to pull further clear of the relegation zone. Tremblay host Chambéry in a clash of European contenders, with similar stakes featuring in the clash between Toulouse and Nîmes on Saturday evening. Finally, on Sunday, Aix and Istres will bring the Liqui Moly StarLigue to a close for 2025.
This Starmatch for Liqui Moly StarLigue Matchday 14 throws off at 8.30pm on Thursday 18 December. The match will be broadcast live on BeIn Sports 1.
