AP Sports Preview

GRASSE, France (Interstat) — Grasse hosts Istres on Saturday, April 25, in a National 2 matchup, with both sides seeking to build momentum from road victories last week.

Istres (8-6-5) enters the contest riding a two-match unbeaten streak after a 1-0 win at FC 93 Bobigny-Bagnolet-Gagny on April 17. The victory improved Istres’s form to 3-2-1 in its last six outings, with the only defeat coming March 21 at Limonest. The club has shown resilience away from home, with four clean sheets in its last five road matches.

Grasse (6-5-8) ended a three-match winless run with a 2-1 victory at Andrezieux on April 17. Prior to that, Grasse had gone 0-2-1, including a 3-1 home loss to Cannes on April 11. The club has struggled for consistency, winning just two of its last seven fixtures.

The teams played to a scoreless draw Dec. 13 in their most recent head-to-head meeting. Saturday’s match will mark the second of three scheduled encounters this season between the southern French clubs.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 1-1 draw. Both teams sit in the middle of the National 2 table, with Istres holding a three-point edge over Grasse entering the weekend.

Grasse will play at Limonest on May 2, followed by a home match against Rumilly Vallieres on May 9, before traveling to Frejus St-Raphael on May 16.

Istres returns home May 1 against Creteil-Lusitanos, then visits Nimes on May 9, and hosts Grand Ouest Association Lyonnaise FC on May 16.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time.