Tonight, the curtain will officially rise for the Aiglons as they embark on the 2012-2013 season journey against Ajaccio. It will be crucial to start on the right foot from this very first match to avoid experiencing another season as complicated as the previous one. So mark your calendars for tonight at 9 PM at Stade du Ray for this premiere, which will also be a last in the Nice stronghold, witnessing its final season in Ligue 1.
For this match, OGC Nice will be without their new Argentine striker, Dario Cvitanich, whom Claude Puel has deliberately rested to allow him to adapt better to his new club, while Kévin Anin will be absent due to a knee sprain. Aside from these two absentees, the new Nice coach can rely on the rest of his squad to form his starting eleven.
Last year, Nice performed quite well against the islanders, winning 3-0 with two goals from Monzon and one from Civelli. It’s the same success they hope for in this new confrontation, which usually turns in favor of the Azuréens, with over 70% victories for Nice in the last ten years. However, Alain Orsoni’s men will certainly not come to the mainland as sacrificial victims, and their recent friendly win against the Italians of Cagliari (2-1) will have given them the confidence needed for this kind of exploit, while Nice suffered a heavy home defeat against Fulham (0-4) in their last outing.
Therefore, the Azuréens need to be vigilant to secure the three valuable points of victory before heading north to Valenciennes and then hosting Lille before traveling to Bordeaux. Claude Puel is well aware of this, and there’s no doubt the Nice coach will find the right words to motivate his new charges, who will surely need to fight hard for their place both in the team and the starting eleven.
Just a few more hours left for Nice supporters, who are expected to turn out in large numbers and with a bittersweet feeling at Stade du Ray, which will see its last season in red and black before a fresh start in a new grand stadium.
Stay tuned…
The Nice squad: Ospina, Delle – Genevois, Gomis, Kolosziejczak, Monzon, Pejcinovic, Coulibaly – Digard, Dao Castallena, Meriem, Palun, Traoré, Abriel, Bauthéac – Guié Guié, Dja Djédjé, Bosetti
