Reassured by the presence of their mascot eagle, which the city’s mayor has transformed into a symbol of local pride (@estrosi I’m delighted with the football league’s decision to allow our eagle to fly over our stadium. Can’t wait for Saturday! #OGCNice #IssaNissa), Claude Puel’s players need a win after a few games without glory or fortune.
Having undergone surgery in late February for a groin strain, Nemanja Pejcinovic returns to the Nice squad to host Reims on Saturday (8 pm) during the 35th day of Ligue 1. The Serbian central defender has not played since the 1-0 victory against Lille on February 2. However, Mahamane Traoré (hamstring) remains absent. He has resumed running, and his return is expected for next week’s match away at Sochaux.
The arrival of Reims comes just in time: Here is a team with a comfortable ranking, visiting the Allianz Arena without needing to play for survival.
Having narrowly won the first match (1-0), the team from the Champagne region faces a Nice team eager for revenge but, more importantly, driven by the desire to show that the recent setbacks haven’t shaken their confidence.
Firstly, they need to secure the points necessary to avoid an anxiety-filled end to the season. This is Claude Puel’s top priority.
Secondly, the pride of Digard and company will want to erase some bad memories for the pleasure of their ever-supportive fans, who need a show of love from their team.
Thirdly, with the end of the season approaching, it also serves as a test for some players, and we know that in these situations, the most recent memories tend to linger the longest.
In short, for the team as a whole and for the players individually, one might apply the saying, “if you play with fire, you get burned.”
After Monaco, where, despite the result, we saw the glass half empty, tonight we expect a glass that’s completely full!
