After breaking a critical losing streak, Nice hosts Evian to end the year on a high note. Emboldened by their qualification for the quarter-finals of the league cup, the Aiglons have regained confidence and will need to ensure it doesn’t go to waste this Saturday against Evian.
The last match of the year, this final meeting of the first half of the season at the Allianz Riviera, is well within the reach of Claude Puel’s men. With the return of several key players, the team is performing better, reassured by the presence of its leaders. OGC Nice also has the advantage of facing presumably weaker teams at the end of the year. After facing Sochaux twice, Evian this weekend, Nice will not have a more complicated task than that.
However, beware of the trap match. Without their best defender, Pejcinovic, and with Cvitanich’s lack of success, Nice can quickly fall back into the fog. In the standings, Gym is still 6 points ahead of the first relegation position (Valenciennes), with the pressure of the result. Evian is tied on points with Nice. This is a crucial match to enjoy the holidays peacefully and, from a financial perspective, it is a good opportunity to keep their distance from the relegation zone.
On the other side, Evian also remains in the running with a quarter-final qualification in the league cup against Bastia. Struggling internally with disputes within the club, the team from Haute-Savoie is also mired at the bottom of the standings. Nice will therefore have to raise its level of play and aggressiveness to win. Tonight’s result could well decide Nice’s ambitions for the second half of the season…
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