The Eaglets host Toulouse tonight (8:45 pm) with the aim of consolidating their position as league leaders following Paris’s defeat yesterday. A victory would be extremely beneficial for the Gym.
“We hope to see many supporters present on Sunday night against Toulouse. We’ll need them. These are three important points to secure before heading to Paris next week,” reminded Younès Belhanda this week.
Considering their results and style of play, Lucien Favre’s team indeed deserves to play this match—designated as the highlight of the 16th round—amid the fervor of a packed stadium.
The opponent
Téfécé has had a good start to the season under the guidance of Pascal Dupraz. After 15 matches, the club has achieved 6 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses, with 18 goals scored and 13 conceded.
The absentees
Nice will still be without Mario Balotelli and Paul Baysse. Added to this are the long absences of Maxime Le Marchand, Mickaël Le Bihan, and Gautier Lloris.
Many Toulouse players are absent for this match: their two mainstays in the backline, Issa Diop (back pain) and Christopher Jullien (suspended), their playmaker Oscar Trejo (appendicitis), and their midfield anchor Alexis Blin (heel injury).
The Nice squad
Goalkeepers: Cardinale, Benitez
Defenders: Souquet, Ricardo, Boscagli, Dalbert, Dante, Sarr
Midfielders: Seri, Walter, Bodmer, Cyprien, Koziello, Marcel
Forwards: Belhanda, Eysseric, Pléa, Donis
The Toulouse squad
Goalkeepers: Goicoechea, Lafont
Defenders: Amian, Michelin, Musavu-King, Ninkov, Veskovac, Yago
Midfielders: Bodiger, Cafaro, Durmaz, Pi, Sangaré, Sirieix, Somalia, Sylla
Forwards: Braithwaite, Edouard, Toivonen
The referee
The referee of the match will be Mikael Lesage. He will be assisted by Frédéric Haquette, Sébastien Denis, and Hakim Ben El Hadj.
