Second last in the league and tied in points with the bottom-ranked team from Nantes, Sedan can hardly afford more mistakes while Nice, ranked 16th, dreams of climbing a few more spots in the standings to finish the season comfortably.
With two coaches from Corsica, José Pasqueletti for Sedan and Frédéric Antonetti for OGC Nice, both teams have had anything but a quiet season, and each would have hoped that this matchup would not be so crucial to avoid the always unwelcome relegation for a club. “Sedan has no choice” is the headline chosen by the official club website to present this match, which experts are calling a “six-point game.” In this regard, the Stade Louis-Dugauguez will welcome close to 18,000 spectators who will play their part as the twelfth man, hoping to break the spirits of the Eaglets firmly determined not to descend from their admittedly tiny cloud.
In the first leg, the two teams had drawn with a score of 2-2, and while this result would finally suit Lloris and his teammates, it would be almost like a defeat for Désiré Job’s colleagues, who will lead Sedan’s attack in search of his eighth goal of the season. On the Nice side, Rool and Fanni are rejoining the red and black team, while Lilian Laslandes will not be traveling to the Ardennes due to thigh pain felt during training.
Thus, the goal is three points for Sedan who face a challenging schedule with trips to Troyes, hosting Lorient, traveling to Lille, welcoming Valenciennes, and a final match at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. Meanwhile, Nice will host Auxerre, travel to Nancy before hosting PSG, then head to Lens and finish at Ray against Le Mans. A challenging program for these two teams who hope to be lined up at the starting line of next season’s Ligue 1.
The Sedan squad:
Regnault, Ducourtioux, Lachor, Sartre, Yahia, Noro, Belhadj, Amalfitano, Ouadah, Pujol, Job
The Nice squad:
Lloris, Letizi, Varrault, Fanni, Abardonado, Apam, Kanté, Scotto, Veigneau, Echouafni, Diakité, Balmont, Rool, Vahirua, Ederson, Koné, Bellion, and Camara.
