This is what is commonly referred to as a 6-point match, especially for Lens players who are in 19th place in the standings, five points behind Nice and one point behind their Monaco neighbors. A match where it won’t be good to lose all three points for fear of losing more than that, especially for the northerners who won’t be playing the victim’s role this evening in the Ray’s stronghold.
Apart from injured Hellebuyck and Traoré, Eric Toy had plenty of choices to form his group of 19 players, with Bagayoko, Bamogo, and Quansah bearing the brunt of the Nice coach’s decision. After qualifying for a semi-final, where they will know their opponent tomorrow, the eaglets feel like they can soar again, and let’s hope that the extra time doesn’t weigh too much on the Nice players’ legs. There is no doubt that this Cup adventure can only be a positive factor in the race for points for the lower-ranked teams in Ligue 1.
Speaking strictly by numbers, in the past five years, Nice and Lens have often shared points, with a Nice victory in 2007/2008 (1-0), a Lens victory the previous year (1-2), and three draws including last year’s 0-0 on the 33rd day.
If the only absence for the northerners will be Queudrue, injured in the adductors, RC Lens can count on Hermarch’s return to the game after recovering from an ankle sprain. The captain’s armband will thus return to its usual wearer and Laszlo Boloni hopes it will bring the spark necessary for a victory that Lens has not known since his injury.
Victory will be the only thing that counts for these two teams meeting in the carnival season, although there’s no question of having a swelled head for the eaglets, while Lens will try to stop the Nice team eager to keep the celebration going until the following weekend and the hosting of Auxerre, culminating in a grand finale…
The Team
Goalkeepers: Letizi, Ospina
Defenders: Cantareil, Civelli, Clerc, Paisley, Pejcinovic, Coulibaly, Gace, Mabiala
Midfielders: Ben Saada, Diakité, Digard, Faé, Sablé
Forwards: Bellion, Ljuboja, Mouloungui, Mounier
ABOUT THE MATCH
In the Stands
For tomorrow’s game, OGC Nice has invited numerous amateur clubs and associations. A successful operation that will be repeated next weekend when AJ Auxerre visits. Clubs and associations wishing to take advantage of this invitation must request it via email: billetterie@ogcnice.com
A VIP Area for Former Eaglets
Tomorrow evening at 6:30 PM, Gilbert Stellardo (President of OGC Nice), Gilles Veissière (Deputy Mayor in charge of Sports for the City of Nice), and Pedro Ascéry (President of the Association of Former Eaglets) will inaugurate the “square of the former players”, a space reserved for the former greats of OGC Nice. Present at this event will be former players of the club such as Roger Jouve, Tony Kurbos, Robert Barraja, Bernard Castellani, Francis Camérini, Dario Grava, Alain Wathelet, Jean-Philippe Mattio, etc.
Everson to Set the Tone
It will be former Nice midfielder Everson, now at Gueugnon (National), who will give the ceremonial kickoff of the match. The Brazilian, unknown upon his arrival at Nice in the summer of 2002, wore the red and black jersey for two seasons, to which he remains deeply attached. In 61 appearances, he scored eleven goals.
Two Tragedies in the Stands
The whole OGC Nice family is in mourning. Two unspeakable tragedies have indeed occurred in recent days in the stands of the Ray. A subscriber in the south stand and son of a CDS member, Eric Aubonnet, 26, succumbed to acute leukemia. As for Laurent Viterbo and his wife Carine, who are among our “supporter merchants”, they experienced the pain of losing their son Loan. Only 22 months old, he fell victim to a particularly severe gastroenteritis. The match is dedicated to their memory, and a minute of silence will be observed.
