Frรฉdรฉric Antonetti will have to do without Cyril Rool and Drissa Diakitรฉ, both suspended, to form his starting eleven, which will see the return of Lionel Letizi in the Nice goal after Ospina’s perfectly handled interim stint. Onyekachi Apam, who has just extended his contract by one year to 2013, will indeed be present for a match with a frankly uncertain outcome. Sure, the first half and the start of the second half were not in favor of the Azurรฉens, but the end of the match allowed the Eagles to show a different side, and above all, a consistent fighting spirit. It remains to be seen if the red and black squad can maintain this play for 90 minutes, especially since they are away.
In Caen, who has been eleventh for two days and eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue, Rajiv Van La Parra returns to the group to complete the list of 18 players. There’s no doubt Franck Dumas is expecting a victory from his team, despite some caution: “Nice played a good game against Bordeaux. They pushed hard at the end of the match. The absence of Rool and Diakitรฉ is double-edged, I don’t think it’s an advantage. They can come here with caution or with big ambition, we need to adapt.”
A match that will draw crowds to the Michel d’Ornano stadium this Wednesday during school holidays, with already more than 17,000 of the 21,000 available seats sold.
Caen group: Plantรฉ, Thรฉbaux, Barzola, Svensson, Leca, Thiam, Sorbon, Lemaรฎtre, Seube, Proment, Gomis, Florentin, Van La Parra, Nivet, Ben Khalfallah, Savidan, Toudic, Adnane.
Nice group: Letizi, Moreau, Ospina, Apam, Cid, Gace, Hognon, Jeunechamp, Kantรฉ, Coulibaly, Echouafni, Faรฉ, Hellebuyck, Traorรฉ, Bamogo, Ben Saada, Modeste, Mouloungui, Rรฉmy.
Absentees: Diakitรฉ, Rool (suspended), Adu, Asamoah, Barul, Moreau, Moussilou, Ozokwo (coach’s decision)
