After the devastating defeat in the French Cup final against Nantes, the Gym must quickly recover to finish the championship in style and qualify for Europe.
This Wednesday evening at 7 PM, OGC Nice hosts Saint-Etienne for the 36th day of Ligue 1. The Gym players must quickly forget Saturday’s disappointment and make amends with a victory against the Greens, who are also obliged to win this match.
Indeed, Saint-Etienne is experiencing a more than poor season, placing in 18th place in the standings. Pascal Dupraz’s players have only won 2 out of their last 9 matches and have conceded 70 goals since the start of the season, making them the second-worst defense in the championship.
Despite Saint-Etienne’s difficulties in this campaign, the Greens will be able to rely on several quality attacking players to win this match. Notably, the Gabonese Denis Bouanga is still a weapon for Pascal Dupraz. Although he has performed with less brilliance this season, he remains indispensable at Geoffroy-Guichard and crucial for his team (8 goals and 5 assists).
Midfielder Mehdi Camara is also a key figure for Sainté. Even if he can have off games, he is a hard worker in the midfield. He does not shirk from effort, can contribute offensively by supporting attacks (3 goals and 2 assists), or rigorously stop counterattacks.
Even though the defeat against Nantes and the importance of playing in a European competition next season is central to this match for Nice, this encounter might be an opportunity for Christophe Galtier to showcase a new team. Changing the system and giving playing time to certain players like Daniliuc, Stengs, Brahimi, or Guessand would not cause any outrage, quite the opposite, considering the style of play shown by the Eagles in recent weeks.
Probable lineups:
OGC Nice in a 4-4-2:
Benitez – Lotomba or Daniliuc, Todibo, Dante, Bard or Amavi – Brahimi or Stengs, Rosario, Lemina, Kluivert or Gouiri – Delort, Gouiri or Guessand
Absentees: Atal, Claude-Maurice (injured), Thuram (suspended)
AS Saint-Etienne in a 3-4-1-2:
Bernardoni – Mangala, Moukoudi, Nade – Maçon, Camara, Youssouf, Trauco or Gabriel Silva – Aouchiche or Boudebouz – Nordin, Bouanga
Absentees: Khazri, Gourna-Douath (suspended), Sacko (returning)
