Tonight (7 pm), Le Gym faces Stade Malherbe de Caen, trying to keep pace with Paris and Monaco. Especially since the Parisians, still shaken, might falter in the title race.
After PSG’s incredible elimination against Barcelona (6-1 defeat after winning the first leg 4-0), Ligue 1 resumes, along with the battle for the title. Between Monaco, Nice, and PSG, the suspense has rarely been this intense in recent years. The three teams are within three points of each other with ten games left in the season.
The opponent
The Aiglons face Caen with a sense of revenge. Since the start of this season, the Aiglons have stumbled only twice in Ligue 1: at Monaco in February and at Caen during the first leg.
On November 6th, while playing an intense schedule, Le Gym was caught out at the Michel-d’Ornano stadium. In a lively atmosphere and against a team fighting for survival, they faltered and conceded a painful goal just before the break. This was when Ivan Santini wrong-footed Yoan Cardinale on a penalty. After this blow, the Red and Blacks tried to recover, but despite Mario Balotelli hitting the post and Alassane Plea’s shot just missing the crossbar, their efforts were in vain.
The absentees
On the Nice side, Alassane Pléa (injured until the end of the season), Younes Belhanda (suspended), and Maxime Le Marchand (family reasons) are unavailable for the squad.
On the Caen side, Jonathan Delaplace is numerically replaced by full-back Emmanuel Imorou. Jean-Viktor Makengo, Hervé Bazile, Valentin Voisin, Ismaël Diomandé, and Steed Malbranque, injured or in the recovery phase, are not able to travel to the Allianz Riviera.
The Nice squad
Goalkeepers: Cardinale, Benitez
Defenders: Souquet, Baysse, Ricardo, Dalbert, Dante, Sarr
Midfielders: Seri, Walter, Obbadi, Cyprien, Koziello, Marcel
Forwards: Eysseric, Balotelli, Le Bihan, Donis
The Caen squad
Goalkeepers: Vercoutre, Dreyer
Defenders: Guilbert, Genevois, Da Silva, Yahia, Adéoti, Ben Youssef, Imorou, Bessat
Midfielders: Seube, Leborgne, Féret
Forwards: Karamoh, Rodelin, Louis, Santini, Ngassaki
The referee
The match will be refereed by François Letexier, assisted on the sidelines by Eric Danizan and Cyril Mugnier. Mr. Letexier has officiated Nice’s matches 3 times this season: in the draw against Lille (1-1), the victory at Metz (4-2), and the defeat at Bordeaux in the Coupe de la Ligue (2-3).
