After an international break lasting a week, the Aiglons return to the path of Ligue 1 tonight (8:45 PM). And it is Lyon, a tough opponent, who presents themselves against the team from Nice.
Last year, there was no debate between Nice and Lyon. At the Allianz Riviera, the team from Nice swept aside a poorly organized Lyon team (3-0). This season, the debates are likely to be more balanced.
Having had a perfect start to the season, the Aiglons are expected to confirm their form against an opponent that is somewhat more at their level. Even though they’ve had a more complicated start to the season, Les Gones have a squad that can hold their own and pose problems for Nice. Still unbeaten, OGC Nice will face a real test to gauge their start to the season.
The Opponent
This summer, Lyon saw several players leave its squad: Steed Malbranque, Henri Bédimo, Bakary Koné, Samuel Umtiti, Lindsay Rose, and Arnold Mvuemba are the main departures to report.
In terms of arrivals, the club primarily strengthened its defense, with the arrivals of Emanuel Mammana, Maciej Rybus, and Nicolas Nkoulou. The striker Jean-Philippe Mateta also signed from Châteauroux.
Lyon has had a rather decent start to the season: they have four victories (0-3 at Nancy, 2-0 against Caen, 5-1 against Montpellier, and 2-0 against Saint-Étienne), one draw (0-0 at Marseille), and three defeats (4-2 at Dijon, 1-3 against Bordeaux, and 1-0 at Lorient). They occupy the fifth place in the championship with 13 points.
In the Champions League group stage, Lyon first defeated Dinamo Zagreb (3-0) before losing on FC Seville’s pitch (1-0).
The Absentees
On the Nice side, the prolonged absences of Maxime Le Marchand, Mickaël Le Bihan, and Gautier Lloris (injured) continue to be a concern. Walter Benitez, Olivier Boscagli, and Alexy Bosetti have been left at the disposal of the CFA, and Arnaud Lusamba has not been selected.
As for Lyon, coach Bruno Génésio will have to manage without Clément Grenier and Rafael, who have not been selected for this trip, along with Mathieu Valbuena. Maxwell Cornet and Christophe Jallet are still unavailable.
The Nice Squad:
Goalkeepers: Hassen, Cardinale.
Defenders: Souquet, Baysse, Ricardo, Dalbert, Dante, Sarr.
Midfielders: Belhanda, Seri, Eysseric, Walter, Bodmer, Cyprien, Koziello.
Forwards: Balotelli, Pléa, Donis.
The Lyon Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gorgelin, Lopes.
Defenders: Gaspar, Mammana, Morel, Nkoulou, Rybus, Yanga-Mbiwa.
Midfielders: Darder, Ferri, Gonalons, Tolisso, Tousart.
Forwards: Fekir, Ghezzal, A. Kalulu, Lacazette.
The Referee
The match will be officiated by Ruddy Buquet. The 39-year-old referee, assisted on the sidelines by Frédéric Cano and Guillaume Debart, will lead an Aiglons match for the first time this season, having last encountered them at Guingamp during the conclusion of the previous campaign. He also officiated the duel between Les Gones and the Bordeaux team (1-3) which took place during the 4th day of Ligue 1 2016/2017.
