A gala match awaits tonight as OGC Nice faces the institution that is FC Barcelona (8:45 PM). This friendly match will fill the Allianz Riviera despite the absence of stars Messi, Neymar, and Suarez.
Around 8 PM, thousands of spectators will have stars in their eyes. As the FC Barcelona players emerge from the locker room, everyone will capture the moment because it’s not every Saturday that the Allianz Riviera sees Xavi, Iniesta, Piqué, or Busquets step onto the field. On paper, it’s a friendly match, but it’s a golden opportunity for the young Nice squad to gain experience.
For both sides, objectives will differ this Saturday night. For OGC Nice, it’s the last preparatory match before the championship begins next week, at the Allianz Riviera against Toulouse. Claude Puel’s men will be keen to deliver a strong performance in front of their home crowd for the first home game of the season.
For the Red and Black, this match is also a chance to regain confidence after a challenging start to their preparation (5 games, 1 draw, and 4 losses). During the last training camp in England, OGC Nice notably lost 3-2 against Brentford (D2) and 5-1 against Norwich (D2), results that naturally worry the supporters.
“The score will be anecdotal. We must enjoy ourselves and bring happiness to our supporters. It will be a good test before starting Ligue 1,” explains Nice’s left midfielder, Eric Bauthéac.
Conversely, FC Barcelona is at the very beginning of their preparation under the management of Luis Enrique, the new coach this season. The Catalan club, with its oversized squad, is gradually getting back its players who participated in the World Cup in Brazil and integrating new ones (Mathieu, Bravo, Rakitic, Ter Stegen). The Spanish championship doesn’t resume until the weekend of August 23-24, explaining the preparatory gap between the two teams.
