The Allianz Riviera hosts the Côte d’Azur Derby between Nice and Monaco this evening (7 PM). Given the start of the season for both teams, the match will have a special flavor.
Few would have bet on this scenario at the start of the season. And yet, the second will host the leader of the French championship tonight. Nice and Monaco, the only two teams still unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season, have stood out where Paris, Lyon, Saint-Étienne, or Lille are struggling.
The two Côte d’Azur teams have shown the same qualities since the start of the season: a technical and fast game and a solid defense, although the Monaco neighbor seems slightly ahead.
“It’s going to be a very lively match,” Wylan Cyprien stated at the press conference. “There will be a lot of level, intensity, and, in addition, with the flavor of the derby. There is a financial stake, which gives even more strength to hold on. If we win, we go ahead. It’s going to be an additional argument for motivation.”
The opponent
During the off-season, AS Monaco recovered its star striker Radamel Falcao (from Chelsea), but also Corentin Jean, who was on loan last season to Troyes. Benjamin Mendy (from Marseille) and Kamil Glik (from Torino FC) were purchased by the club.
As for departures, Monaco lost Jérémy Toulalan over the summer, who left to strengthen Bordeaux, as well as Ricardo Carvalho, whose contract was not renewed. Just six months after arriving, Vagner Love left to join Alanyaspor in Turkey. Among the young players, Jessy Pi (to Toulouse), Paul Nardi (to Rennes), and Marcel Tisserand (to Ingolstadt, Germany) were some of the main departures.
This summer, ASM played seven friendly matches. The record is three wins (5-3 against Lugano, 4-1 against Sporting Portugal, and 1-0 against Basel), two draws (3-3 against SC Kriens and 3-3 against FC Sion), and two defeats (2-1 against Lucerne and 3-1 against Zenit Saint Petersburg).
In the championship, Monaco is having an idyllic start to the season: still unbeaten in Ligue 1, the Monegasque club has a total of 13 points after the first five days, thus matching its best total at this stage since its rise to the elite in 2013/14. After a draw against Guingamp (2-2) in the opener, Monaco notched up four consecutive wins at Nantes (0-1), against Paris (3-1), at Lille (1-4), and in front of Rennes (3-0) to top the standings. Just ahead of Nice…
In the Champions League, the Monegasques emerged from the playoffs by defeating Fenerbahçe (losing 2-1 away but winning 3-1 at home) to qualify for the group stage. Falling into the group with Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen, and CSKA Moscow, the Monegasques won their first match (1-2) on Tottenham’s ground.
The absentees
On the Nice side, the prolonged absences of Walter Benitez, Maxime Le Marchand, Mickaël Le Bihan, and Gautier Lloris (injured) are still to be deplored. Alexy Bosetti is also absent.
Lucien Favre also decided to do without Marcel, Burner, Benrahma, Caddy, Rafetraniaina, and Vercauteren, who are left available to the CFA. Olivier Boscagli and Rémi Walter are replaced in the group by Mika Seri and Mario Balotelli. Anastasios Donis, who made a very good entrance in Montpellier, is also in the group.
Regarding Monaco, Benjamin Mendy (return) and Nabil Dirar (injured) are the only absentees from a group that includes Djibril Sidibé and Tiémoué Bakayoko again.
The Nice squad
Goalkeepers: Cardinale, Hassen
Defenders: Baysse, Dalbert, Dante, Ricardo, Souquet, Sarr
Midfielders: Belhanda, Bodmer, Eysseric, Cyprien, Lusamba, Seri, Koziello
Forwards: Balotelli, Donis, Pléa
The Monaco squad
Goalkeepers: Subasic, De Sanctis.
Defenders: Glik, Jemerson, Raggi, Sidibe, Toure.
Midfielders: Bakayoko, Boschilia, Fabinho, Lemar, Moutinho, N’Doram, B. Silva, Traoré.
Forwards: Carrillo, Falcao, Germain, Mbappe.
The referee
Benoit Bastien will be on the whistle for the tense derby looming against Monaco. Joining him on the lines will be Frédéric Haquette and Hicham Zakrani. A referee familiar with officiating the
The referee last encountered the Aiglons on matchday 35 of the previous season (a 2-0 victory against Reims) and the Asémistes on the 38th and final matchday (a 2-0 success in front of Montpellier).
