After a successful preparation, OGC Nice has an appointment this Saturday with AS Monaco for its first official match. A challenging start against a serious contender for the podium. Especially since the princely club seems ready and already has two official matches under their belt.
“We don’t prepare for friendly matches and official matches the same way, especially in terms of stress.” Nampalys Mendy knows it will be a delicate encounter awaiting OGC Nice tonight at the Allianz Riviera. Enough to put a bit of pressure on the shoulders of the Nice team, who will have to manage an important return to competition that they need to handle well mentally. But there is no question of fearing the opponent.
“I think we’ll be ready,” Claude Puel insists.
And his players will certainly be eager to prove him right. First, because it’s a derby, a source of motivation in itself. But the other major challenge for the eaglets is to start the season well at home. “We need to win our home games, especially since we have a good crowd even if the supporters were unhappy at times last season.”
Starting positively at home could allow OGCN to forget a last season plagued by disappointing results at their stronghold. The eleventh place secured with a lot of determination away could be much easier to achieve with a good home performance.
A Real Test…
The sometimes shaky defense against Bekistas or Naples requires particular attention. Especially since the right-back position is rather depleted after the departures of LLoyd Pallun and Grégoire Puel. A contract termination for the latter wasn’t necessarily “timed perfectly” in Claude Puel’s eyes. Genevois being injured and the new right-back yet to arrive, Kevin Gomis is expected to start on the right flank. Despite a certain commitment, the qualities of the Franco-Senegalese player are more suited to central defense.
The back two, Bodmer and Le Marchand, still need to learn to know each other and find a complementarity despite a somewhat similar style. In the middle and up front, the red and blacks have to confirm the good impression left by the friendly matches, but this diamond and its offensive trio are exciting. It’s up to them to live up to this first appointment of the season. And what an appointment!
… And Not Just for Nice
On the Monaco side, despite two victorious preliminaries in the Champions League (against Bern, 1-3 away and 4-0 at home), everything is not yet perfect. Hesitant at times, Leonardo Jardim’s players offered some good situations that the Young Boys couldn’t take advantage of. Against a team from the Swiss championship, of which the true level is hard to determine, the Monacans were nonetheless quite fortunate, particularly in the first leg.
The strongest point of the matches played so far by the last third of Ligue 1 remains the offensive plan. Newcomers Cavaleiro and El Sharaawy already seem ready to make their mark, Martial looks set for a great season, and Bernardo Silva, who might make his return, is a superb technician.
With lively attacks and somewhat less prepared defenses, this match promises only a great spectacle. Moreover, the derby has often been prolific in recent years and has even produced a remarkable number of magnificent goals.
So, who will succeed Ederson’s 40-meter lob in 2005 or Berbatov’s cheeky scoop in 2014? Perhaps, Nampalys Mendy, never a scorer as a pro, who would love to score “any goal as long as it goes in.” You never know.
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