On the 18th day of Ligue 1, Montpellier faced Saint-Etienne. It marked the first match of Rolland Courbis as the Montpellier coach this season. Montpellier had been struggling, and the arrival of Courbis was seen as an opportunity to turn things around. The match against Saint-Etienne was crucial, and Montpellier aimed to secure a victory, having experienced only two wins the entire season.
One positive note for Courbis was the return of Abdelhamid El Kaoutari, a Moroccan central defender, who was back in the squad after serving a suspension. Montpellier was hoping to capitalize on this and end their struggles with a much-needed win.
