Ligue1.com – Dynamic duos (Part 1)

Mothiba-Da Costa: Complicit

RC Strasbourg Alsace boast the fourth-best attack in the division with 16 goals – a 44% increase on their tally at the same state last season and their most prolific start to a season since the 80s. And this is due in large part to the performances from their strike duo of Lebo Mothiba (22) and Nuno Da Costa (27), who between them have bagged exactly half of Racing’s goals this term. Both forwards are in the top ten on the Ligue 1 Conforama scorers chart. Mothiba, who is averaging one goals every 86 minutes with his new club, has struck four times for racing as well as once with former club LOSC on the opening day of the season.

The South African international has created the most chances (9) of any RSCA player this season and is the owner of a hot streak of three goals in just 51 minutes over the two matches against Dijon and Angers SCO. Against the Scoïstes, Mothiba fired on all cylinders, with two goals from two shots taking his rate of on-target shots to 55%. And he has been able to bank on Nuno Da Costa’s support, with two assists from the Cape Verde international in the past two matches. Da Costa, meanwhile, happily latched onto a ball from Mothiba to score against Marseille and took his share of Strasbourg’s total goal tally to 38%. He also has four RCSA goals to his name this season, just one shy of his haul in the last campaign (over 26 matches), at the impressive rate of one per 1.7 shots.

Kamano-Karamoh: New-look attack

François Kamano (22) has single-handedly scored 54% of Bordeaux‘s goals this season, setting new standards for himself with half of his on-target shots finding the back of the net – at a rate of one every 106 minutes. Currently fifth on the scorers chart, just one goal shy of Kylian Mbappé and Neymar with seven strikes (including two doubles at the Matmut ATLANTIQUE), Kamano needs just one more goal to equal his haul from 35 matches last season. In the past four rounds, Yann Karamoh (20) has joined Kamano in Bordeaux’s front line and has already struck twice at a rate of once per 53 minutes, with three out of four shots on target. This newly formed duo are between them responsible for six of the last seven goals for Ricardo’s revamped Girondins outfit.

Konaté-Ghoddos: Full of surprises

Moussa Konaté (25) was Amiens‘ revelation in their promotion season in 2017-18, and he is rolling on in the current campaign with three strikes in the first quarter of the season while linking up well with this season’s revelation Saman Ghoddos (25), who has replaced Gaël Kakuta in the Picardy club’s front line. The Senegalese-Iranian duo has bagged 55% of the club’s goals this season! While Konaté burst out of the gate with three goals in as many matches at the start of the campaign, Ghoddos has responded two if his three goals – and two assists – in their last five matches. The Iranian – who has introduced Ligue 1 Conforama to what his coach Christophe Pélisssier calls his ‘incredible shooting’ – is one of the attacking revelations of the season, having played a direct role in 45 % of his club’s goals. He even struck on his first appearance at home this season, getting off to an auspicious start as the first Iranian to ply his trade in France’s top flight.

Khazri-Diony: Getting the job done

AS Saint-Etienne is home to another new-look strike partnership – one that has played a key role in lifting the club to fifth place after nine rounds. Right from the opening day of the season, the duo of Wahbi Khazri and Loïs Diony brought its influence to bear, the former latching onto an assist from the latter to open the scoring against EA Guingamp. For Tunisian international Khazri, the early stages of the season have confirmed his talent, with four goals scored at home, including three in their last three matches. With a career total of 40 Ligue 1 Conforama goals, Khazri leads the line of Les Verts‘ attack, especially at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, where he has been striking once every 84 minutes. Meanwhile Diony (25) has been involved n three goals (two strikes, one assist) after failing to core in 16 appearances last season. Between them, Khazri and Diony have been directly involved in 64% of Saint-Etienne’s goals this season.