If the mission is not impossible, it will still be difficult on Norman soil, and moreover, OGC Nice will have to do without the services of Apam, Diakitรฉ, and Echouafni, all three suspended, as well as Mohamed Yahaya, who is suffering from periostitis of the right fibula, and Cyril Rool who is returning from a muscle injury to the left thigh.
On Caen’s side, having just rehearsed in a closed-door session at their stadium, this new championship unfolds without great pressure. Friendly matches of good quality, with victories over Rennes (3-1) and the UNFP (3-0), draws against Le Havre (1-1), Lorient (2-2), and Bastia (2-2), and only one defeat against Geneva (1-2), have reassured coach Patrick Parizon, who can count on a fully available squad.
One question remains about the tactical choice of the Nice coach, who will likely start with a classic 4-3-3, rearranged due to the absences of the day, but can rely on the renewed liveliness of Bakari Konรฉ, who has been unstoppable during training sessions, and on the calm of Hugo Lloris, who will be supervised by Renรฉ Girard ahead of the upcoming match of the French Under-21 team against their Italian counterparts on August 21 in La Spezia.
So it’s off again for a tour in a championship that all the supporters and Gym enthusiasts hope will be more lenient than last year, but there is no doubt that the commando spirit instilled by Frรฉdรฉric Antonetti at the end of last season to save the club from the relegation that many predicted was inevitable will be very useful for the eaglets who would like to take flight from the first day.
The Nice squad:
Goalkeepers: Lloris, Letizi
Defenders: Abardonado, Kante, Barul, Hognon, Gace, Scaramozzino
Midfielders: Rool, Hellebuyck, Balmont, Ederson
Forwards: Bamogo, Laslandes, Moussilou, Modeste
The Caen squad:
Goalkeepers: Plantรฉ, Costil
Defenders: Thiam, Seube, Hengbart, Sorbon, Svensson
Midfielders: Proment, Leca, Nivet, Deroin, Florentin, Gouffran, Eluchans
Forwards: Mazure, Jemaa, Compan, Samson
 Photo www.ogcnice.com
