This Sunday, OGC Nice hosts AS Monaco as part of the 21st day of Ligue 1. In a derby between the poorly ranked teams in the championship, the Eagles will want to confirm their resurgence in form over the past weeks. This is also a great opportunity to offer a prestigious victory to the red and black supporters. Discover all the pre-match info for this Côte d’Azur derby here.
On the brink of a derby, OGC Nice, 13th in Ligue 1, is preparing to welcome AS Monaco, 10th. Who could have imagined that the two southern rivals would be so poorly ranked before meeting for a return clash expected to be crucial ahead of the end of the season? OGCN and ASM stagnate in the lower half of the table, far from their shared European ambitions. It must be said that neither the Eagles nor the Monegasques have left a mark since the start of the 2025/26 season. Disappointing signings, coaching changes, frequent disappointments—the seasons of Nice and Monaco share many similarities. This weekend, the two clubs meet for a new Côte d’Azur derby, which already promises to be fiery on all fronts (kick-off this Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Allianz Riviera).
On the Nice side, the past weeks have nonetheless brought a few positive signs. The Eagles are delivering better quality performances, even if everything is not yet perfect for Elye Wahi’s squad. Against Montpellier (3-2) in the French Cup this Wednesday, Claude Puel’s players again showed two different faces during the match. Apathetic for over an hour—and logically trailing—the Gym then completely turned the match around, winning in the final seconds thanks to a sublime piece of play from Sofiane Diop. The Eagles will be in the quarter-finals of the French Cup, where they will face Lorient. This will not be the case for Monaco, defeated in Strasbourg (1-3) this Thursday. Besides this loss, the club from the Rock will have 24 hours less recovery time compared to its Nice rival before this derby.
A derby to confirm
Unsprisingly, there shouldn’t be any major comebacks from the OGC Nice squad. For this derby, Claude Puel is expected to rely on all the victorious players against Montpellier. The coach of the Eagles even took the opportunity to rest some key players like Dante and Ali Abdi, who were absent from the match sheet this Wednesday. Making his debut off the bench and scoring for the first time in his career, Kaïl Boudache has made an impression. Is it enough to earn him a first start in the intense context of a derby? Stay tuned…
Finally, Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Melvin Bard, and Moïse Bombito are still in the infirmary. The four defenders are still not ready to return to competition. There is still uncertainty regarding the presence of Mohamed-Ali Cho for this game. Struggling with muscle issues, the winger had to pull out from the cup match earlier this week. A decision regarding his availability will be made early in the weekend.
On the other hand, as discussed earlier, AS Monaco is experiencing a difficult season. The club from the Rock, accustomed to podium finishes in Ligue 1, finds itself in a disappointing 10th place. Like Nice, the Monégasques underwent a coaching change mid-season. However, the arrival of Sébastien Pocognoli hasn’t resolved ASM’s issues. The Monegasque inconsistency continues under the Belgian tactician’s management. Last weekend, Monaco did find their way back to winning in the league with a resounding victory against Stade Rennais (4-0). Amongst others, Paul Pogba, Wout Faes, Takumi Minamino, and Eric Dier, who are injured, will not be available for this derby.
The probable line-ups:
Nice: Dupé – Clauss, Bah, Dante (C), Abdi – Vanhoutte, Abdul Samed, Sanson – Boudache, Wahi, Diop
Monaco: Köhn – Teze, Zakaria (C), Kehrer – Vanderson, Camara, Coulibaly, Caio Henrique – Akliouche, Balogun, Golovin
