Two wounded beasts will cross paths tonight at the Stade du Ray in a derby that will be worth its weight in points, with the Marseillais on one side still hoping to approach the European zone, and the Niçois on the other looking to escape the relegation zone. There’s no doubt the battle will be fierce to secure the three points of victory.
Deprived of Eric Mouloungui, Nemanja Pejcinovic, and David Hellebuyck, OGC Nice can still count on the return of Fabrice Abriel, who will be eager to perform well against his former club, while on the Marseillais side, former Niçois Loïc Rémy won’t face his former teammates due to pain in his right thigh. No room for error then for two teams recently facing setbacks, with the Marseillais losing in the Coupe de France against Quévilly (3-2 ap) and the Niçois in their last outing to Sochaux (2-0).
Sure, the Olympians can console themselves with the Champions League in case of defeat at Nice, while the Aiglons would be left only with regret in case of a poor performance against their Provençal neighbors.
Moreover, the opportunity is perhaps great to exit the red zone with three matchups pitting lower-ranked teams against each other: Dijon (15th) hosting Caen (17th), Nancy (14th) traveling to Brest (13th), and finally Ajaccio (16th) welcoming Lorient (12th). For the teams trailing OGC Nice, two perilous trips to face the leaders, with Sochaux taking on Lyon and Auxerre heading to Toulouse.
In other words, it’s highly risky to lose this Saturday for fear of the fever gripping the red and black house.
The OGC Nice squad
Goalkeepers: Fernandez, Ospina
Defenders: Civelli, Clerc, Gomis, Monzon
Midfielders: Abriel, Anin, Coulibaly, Diakité, Digard, Meriem, Palun, Sablé
Forwards: Dja Djedje, Goncalves, Grandin, Guie Guie, Mounier
AROUND THE MATCH
José Cobos, back at the center
José Cobos is set to return to the pitch at Stade du Ray to give the ceremonial kick-off for the reception of Olympique de Marseille.
Gambardella: Nice – Troyes in the quarterfinals
The Gambardella Cup round of 16 match between OGC Nice and AS Monaco, on March 11, brought together over a thousand spectators at Stade de la Plaine du Var. An attendance and atmosphere rarely seen at this level, further crowned by the success of Nice’s U19s in the derby (2-1). Guy Mengual’s players now know their opponent for the quarterfinals of this prestigious competition. They will host Troyes on Sunday, April 1, at 3 pm at Stade du Ray.
On the road to London 2012
In preparation for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, OGC Nice presents to the public of Stade du Ray the Azur athletes competing to represent France. During the Nice-Marseille match, Alexia Kogut-Kubiak, a member of Nice Côte d’Azur Athletics and third in the latest French javelin throw championships, is honored. She will be present on the pitch at Stade du Ray a few minutes before the kickoff.
Minute of silence
Saturday night’s match is dedicated to the memory of Sandrine Meneroud, who passed away at the age of 41, a loyal supporter of OGC Nice. We extend our sincere condolences to her companion Christophe and their 16-month-old daughter, Olympe. This minute of silence is also dedicated to Imad Ibn Ziaten, Mohamed Legouad, Abel Chennouff, Myriam Monsonego, Jonathan Sandler, Arieh Sandler, and Gabriel Sandler, victims of the murders in Montauban and Toulouse.
