To find a Nice victory at the Roudourou stadium, you have to go back to the 2003-2004 season when Traoré and Laslandes secured the win. Last year, after the Bretons were promoted back to Ligue 1, they were the ones who won by the highest score (1-0).
For this season, Jocelyn Gourvennec’s men, sitting at the bottom of the table, are hosting Claude Puel’s team. It’s been a difficult start to the season with home defeats to Nantes, Marseille, and Metz all by the same score of 1-0, and one to Saint-Etienne on the first day (0-2). Suffice to say, Guingamp has not shone at home and they will want to change the trend against the Eaglets. The recent league victory at Lille (1-2) and the draw brought back from Minsk in the Europa League will surely have boosted the spirits of President Desplat’s men.
On the Nice front, the victories over Lille and Monaco are now just memories after the two home matches ended in a draw with Montpellier and a defeat to Bastia. It would be a good idea to get back on track before once again welcoming two matches at the Allianz Riviera, against Metz in the Coupe de la Ligue and Lyon in the league. It’s an opportunity to regain some confidence and, why not, to pick up a few points in the standings.
Certainly, Claude Puel will still be without Dario Cvitanich, Mahamane Traoré, Niklas Hult, Kevin Gomis, and Albert Rafetraniaina, but the Riviera coach can rely on his team’s desire for revenge after two lukewarm performances and, for those who were on the Roudourou pitch last year, the bitter disappointment of Guingamp’s victory in added time (93rd minute) with a goal that was borderline offside. In short, all the ingredients are there to hope for a burst of pride from the Nice group that arrived without a hitch yesterday in Brittany.
The Nice squad:
Goalkeepers: Hassen, Pouplin
Defenders: Amavi, Bodmer, Diawara, Genevois, Lloris, Palun, Puel G.
Midfielders: Carlos Eduardo, Digard, Eysseric, Mendy, Vercauteren
Forwards: Bauthéac, Bosetti, Maupay, Plea
The Guingamp squad: Lössl, Guichard – Sorbon, Sankoh, Baca, Lemaître, Kerbrat – Beauvue, Giresse, Marveaux, Yatabaré, Sankharé, Mathis, Dos Santos, Diallo – Mandanne, Schwartz, Alioui
Photo credit and more info at www.ogcnice.com
