Three away games at Rennes, Evian, and Ajaccio, and a home game against Lyon at the Ray, are the last four stops of this 2012/2013 Ligue 1 tour for the eaglets who have not been this close to a European qualification for many years. Analysis of the Gym’s upcoming opponents!
The first opponent for Claude Puel’s men will be Stade Rennais, next Sunday at 2:00 PM, and the team led by former Nice coach Frédéric Antonetti, despite winning last Saturday in Brest (0-2), are on a less than glorious run with three consecutive home defeats against Troyes (1-2), PSG (0-2), and Nancy (0-2). Suffice it to say that with the League Cup final lost against Saint-Etienne (1-0), the mood of the Breton club has not been great in recent weeks with the announced departure of Frédéric Antonetti and a portion of their supporters on strike. Will this be enough to destabilize the Bretons who owe their fans a true comeback?
Second away game for the eaglets in Evian. Without a doubt, the most complicated trip for Nice against a direct competitor for relegation but also one of the protagonists of the French Cup semi-finals, which will see the Haut-Savoyards face Lorient four days before receiving the team from the Côte d’Azur. Tied on points with the first team in the relegation zone, Sochaux, Evian will head next weekend to the last-placed team, Troyes, who will play one of its last chances to hope to save itself in Ligue 1. Points will be invaluable at Parc des Sports d’Annecy but a victory in Haute-Savoie could lead to a near-final the following week against Lyon.
Last home game and the ultimate match at Stade du Ray, the showdown against Olympique Lyonnais will be a true gala match and could, depending on each team’s results, be a real six-pointer for both sides. Third, four points behind Marseille and with Saint-Etienne in their wake by just two small points, Rémi Garde’s men will head to Nancy next Sunday, who desperately need points to move definitively away from the red zone, and will face the following week a Paris Saint Germain team that could very well claim its title on that occasion. A challenging path that could put Lyon in a difficult situation before coming to the Côte d’Azur.
Final trip to the Island of Beauty and the last match of the season against Ajaccio. It’s never really easy to play in Corsica, but if the Ajaccian team is not yet completely safe, their schedule during the final days could allow them to ensure survival before the season’s final act. An away match in Reims next Saturday, hosting Troyes, then a final trip to Rennes should enable Albert Emon’s men to secure the last points necessary for another season at the top level. However, be cautious as it is remembered that the Corsicans triumphed during the first day at Stade du Ray (0-1)!
To be continued…
