With two defeats against Valenciennes on the first matchday (3-1) and then against Strasbourg at home with the same score, Toulouse were still the first to topple the French champions Lyon (1-0), who were certainly much less dangerous than last season. Deprived of a third matchday due to their European battle against Liverpool (a 1-0 defeat in Toulouse), Elie Baup’s men find themselves in 16th place in the Ligue 1 standings with a game in hand at Caen which they will play on September 29. But before that, there will be the return match against the Reds at their Anfield Road home, next Tuesday, and that could be an advantage for Nice as the Toulouse minds might already be slightly turned toward England.
On the red and black side, the eleventh place in the standings is quite encouraging and although coach Anto’s protégés could not hold the score last Sunday against Stade Rennais, the first half did reveal some very interesting things with Baky Koné at his best and Vincent Hognon, who is one of the most prominent recruits in a Nice team that will be eager to erase the narrow defeat suffered last year at the Ray (0-1) with a goal by the Swede Johan Elmander who will need to be watched like a hawk. The Nordic forward who scored the winning goal against Lyon is a key component of the Toulouse team. The duel between Hugo Lloris, excellent since the start of the season, and Elmander should be one of the highlights of the evening on a hill of the Ray dreaming of vibrating to the sound of a Saturday night victory on the… Nice earth.
Saturday night will thus be a 3-point operation and knowing that the upcoming matches for the Eagles will be in Marseille (29/08), at home against Lens (02/09 – broadcast on Canal +), in Auxerre (15/09), and then a reception of the Greens from Saint-Etienne (22/09), these points will be very precious in the Nice treasury.
The appointment is therefore set with the red and black commandos for a new mission that’s anything but impossible.
Transfer Info
OGC Nice and CS Sedan-Ardennes have reached an agreement for the transfer of Joseph-Désiré JOB.
The player will sign a 2-year contract with OGC Nice in Paris on Thursday. He will wear the number 11. He should be eligible to be in the squad on Saturday against Toulouse.
The Eagles’ staff is hard at work. After the Nice-Rennes match, coach Frédéric Antonetti announced the probable arrival of 3 reinforcements in each sector. Joseph Désiré Job is therefore the offensive reinforcement while waiting for a left-back and a playmaker. The transfer window will close on August 31. The Gym has 8 days left to seize opportunities.
