This Sunday, August 22, at 8:45 PM, OGC Nice will host Olympique de Marseille at the Allianz Riviera for the third day of Ligue 1. Both teams, having each secured one win and one draw, appear poised for a promising season.
This is the match of the third championship day; the Gym will host OM this Sunday. It’s a big test for the Aiglons after their overwhelming 4-0 victory this weekend against Lille, the reigning champion. The Marseillais also need to meet the expectations at the start of this season. With a solid win against Montpellier (3-2) in the first match, Marseille then let go of their second match of the season against Bordeaux, despite leading 2-0 at halftime. In response to the disappointment of this draw, Jorge Sampaoli’s team will certainly want to deliver a strong performance to their supporters, especially against the Aiglons, who impressed against Lille.
Here are the probable line-ups for this clash on the third day of Ligue 1:
OGC Nice:
Benitez – Atal, Todibo, Dante, Bard or Kamara – Boudaoui, Lemina or Thuram, Rosario, Kluivert – Dolberg, Gouiri
Absent: Schneiderlin, Claude-Maurice, Stengs (injured)
Olympique de Marseille:
Mandanda – Saliba, Alvaro, Peres – Rongier or Dieng, Guendouzi, Kamara, Gueye, Gerson, De La Fuente – Payet
Absent: Under, Milik, Pau Lopez (injured), Balerdi (suspended)
The composition of the Nice team will likely remain the same as against Lille. With a solid performance from the entire team, no player from the Gym seemed off form. Only Malvin Bard and Mario Lemina, who are not yet at 100% of their physical condition and facing competition for their positions, may not start the match. They could be replaced by Kamara and Thuram, who were particularly good in pre-season matches.
On the Marseille side, despite the draw, the team will hardly change. The injury to Cengiz Under against Bordeaux was a blow; the Turkish winger, who scored 2 goals in 2 Ligue 1 matches, got injured at the end of the match. Although Sampaoli was reassuring about the severity of his injury, he will likely miss the Sunday encounter. Valentin Rongier or Bamba Dieng might replace him. Balerdi also exited against Bordeaux, but due to a red card, the Argentine defender received a two-match suspension. Certainly, Alvaro Gonzalez, who has returned from suspension, will take his place in the defense axis.
In the last 10 encounters against Olympique de Marseille, both teams conceded only one draw, with the Gym losing 7 times and winning twice. With the excellent match against Lille, there’s no doubt that Galtier and his players will want to continue their momentum and change the statistics of this PACA region duel.
