This Tuesday, OGC Nice travels to Benfica Lisbon’s field for the return leg of the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Defeated in the first leg (0-2), the Gym will need to achieve a victory, and in style, on Portuguese soil to overturn this double confrontation. All the pre-match information can be found here.
This time, OGC Nice has no other option! An exploit will be necessary this Tuesday on the pitch of Estadio de la Luz (kick-off at 9 PM) to pass this third qualifying round and reach the playoffs, the last hurdle before a potential participation in the most prestigious club competitions. Currently, things look very grim for Franck Haise’s team. Last Wednesday, the Eagles succumbed to the experience and striking force of the Lisbonites (0-2).
The calculations are simple: to qualify for the next round, OGC Nice must win in Portugal with a lead of at least two goals over their opponent. The teammates of Sofiane Diop have no choice; qualification and salvation for the black and red will require a massive collective performance this Tuesday evening. If they qualify for the playoffs, the Eagles will face the winner of the Feyenoord vs. Fenerbahce match-up (advantage to the Dutch after the first leg). Otherwise, the Gym will automatically be placed in the Europa League, returning to a competition that was unsuccessful for them last year.
Morgan Sanson is out, so is Dante
He left the field in the first half last Wednesday, already hinting at the worst. Suffering from a heel injury, Morgan Sanson will not be fit for this new match. Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Moïse Bombito, and Ali Abdi remain in the infirmary on the red and black side. Like last year, Franck Haise is quite unlucky with injuries in his squad. Also out with an injury against the Portuguese, Dante is not expected to be able to take his place in defense. The Brazilian is reportedly still troubled by a knee injury, according to information from Nice-Matin.
A bad piece of news for OGC Nice, who struggled defensively after their captain left last Wednesday. In a press conference, Franck Haise also confirmed the absence of Pablo Rosario. On the verge of leaving, the midfielder does not wish to play the match, risking injury during it, and thereby jeopardizing his chances of finding a new club in the coming weeks. Finally, Mohamed-Ali Cho might make his grand return. The forward has resumed collective training with his teammates. He is logically vying for a spot within the Nice squad for this clash.
On the other side, Benfica approaches this return match with a solid lead and a clear favorite status. As in the first leg, Bruno Lage remains without Bruma, Alexander Bah, and Kerem Aktürkoglu, who are injured.
Probable line-ups:
Benfica: Trubin – Dedic, Silva, Otamendi (C), Dahl – Aursnes, Barrenechea, Rios, Schjelderup – Ivanovic, Pavlidis
Nice: Diouf – Mendy, Bah, Oppong – Clauss, Boudaoui, Louchet, Bard (C) – Bouanani, Moffi, Jansson
