Without a victory in their last three outings, OGC Nice will host FC Nantes this Friday as part of the 28th round of Ligue 1. The Aiglons must react to stay in the race for the Champions League. All the pre-match information can be found here.
OGC Nice needs to react! In recent weeks, the team from the French Riviera has been experiencing a challenging period in Ligue 1. Sofiane Diop’s teammates have not won a single match in their last three outings. To recap, the Niçois were defeated by OL (0-2), then held to a draw at the end by AJ Auxerre (1-1), before losing in the derby against AS Monaco (1-2). These three setbacks have caused the Gym to drop in the standings. Now, the Aiglons are in 4th place, but remain reasonably close to the podium (two points behind OM, 3rd).
In this context, Franck Haise’s men are under pressure this weekend against FC Nantes (kick-off this Friday at 8:45 PM). In recent years, the Canaries have not been a favorable opponent for the Aiglons. Against this opponent, the Gym has not won in the last six direct encounters between the two teams. The last time Nice triumphed was on January 14, 2022. At that time, Kasper Dolberg and Khephren Thuram secured the victory for the red and blacks (2-1).
Key absences in the Nice defense
Although the infirmary is almost empty, Franck Haise will be without Melvin Bard and Dante for this match. The first is serving his second match suspension after his expulsion against Auxerre. Meanwhile, the Brazilian captain is also suspended. The defender received a harsh direct red card late in the derby loss on the Monaco fields.
As was the case against Monaco, Morgan Sanson and Terem Moffi are expected to be part of the Nice squad. Although the midfielder did not play, the Nigerian international did make his season debut. Last weekend, the striker played his first minutes of the season after recovering from a ligament rupture in July.
Conversely, FC Nantes occupies the 13th spot in Ligue 1. However, Antoine Kombouaré’s team is not yet mathematically secured in France’s top division. The Canaries are only three points ahead of Le Havre, who are currently in the relegation play-off spot. Last weekend, Moses Simon’s teammates suffered a defeat on the Normand fields (2-3) in a bottom-of-the-table clash.
Probable lineups:
Nice: Bulka – Bombito, Ndayishimiye (C), Abdelmonem – Clauss, Boudaoui, Santamaria, Louchet – Cho, Guessand, Boga
Nantes: Lopes – Amian, Sow, Pallois, Cozza – Chirivella, Augusto – Thomas, Lepenant, Simon – Abline