This Friday evening (8:30 PM), OGC Nice faces AS Monaco for the Côte d’Azur derby. After three consecutive 0-0 draws, the Eagles hope to find the back of the net again in front of a supportive crowd. On the other side, AS Monaco might be focused on the Champions League (traveling to Arsenal on Tuesday) but wants to erase the defeat of the first leg.
The famous saying is clear: “A derby is not played, it is won.” And this season, OGC Nice knows what it’s talking about with a victory in Monaco last September (1-0) and a win against Marseille in mid-January (2-1). Last season, Monaco was a nightmare (0-3 at home in Ligue 1 and 0-1 a.e.t. in the French Cup) but the Gym has significantly changed, especially in 2015. Claude Puel’s men are on a six-match unbeaten run including three 0-0 draws (at Metz, against Nantes, and in Lille). To triumph against the rival, they’ll need to regain the efficiency seen against Lorient (3-1) and Marseille (2-1).
The Eagles will have to do without the man in form, Eric Bauthéac, suspended (3 yellow cards in less than 10 matches). He will join Grégoire Puel in the stands, who has a thigh injury, as do long-standing injured players Didier Digard and Mathieu Bodmer. However, the solid central defense Genevois-Diawara will be there, and the offensive spearheads Plea-Eysseric-Carlos Eduardo will relish playing in the last derby of the season.
“We always want to measure ourselves against such teams, but we can’t be satisfied with this streak; we have to keep going. We need to capitalize on our strong moments, score, and gain points. Meanwhile, Monaco will want to erase the humiliation of the first leg,” said Claude Puel at the press conference.
The first leg match remains in the memories of Nice fans, less so for the Monégasques. A match that brought Carlos Eduardo into the limelight. The Brazilian entered the hearts of Nice supporters with his first goal in his new colors, a free kick that meant victory.
But AS Monaco is not arriving as a sacrificial victim. Deprived of a match last week due to bad weather (Monaco-Montpellier postponed to a later date), the players from the Rock find themselves 8 points from the podium (5th place). After an incredible unbeaten run of 13 matches, Leonardo Jardim’s men have slowed since the restart, with two winless matches in Ligue 1 (0-0 against Lyon and a 1-0 loss to Guingamp). The attack is stalling, and especially Berbatov is less sprightly, but he remains dangerous in big matches. The satisfaction of January-February lies in the midfield. The unknown at the start of the season, Bernardo Silva, has earned a starting spot and proves his great potential match after match.
“The victory in the first leg and my goal are good memories but that’s in the past. We need to focus on the upcoming match. We respect Monaco, who are a great team. We’ll do everything to win and earn points in front of our fans,” exclaims Carlos Eduardo.
Four days before the trip to London to face Arsenal, will Monaco have their heads in the “Cup with big ears”? Will the Gym continue their streak and make it a seventh match without defeat? A derby with a taste for revenge for both teams, a matter of territorial rivalry, 90 minutes to decide the pride of the Southeast.
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