With three draws and two defeats in the last five encounters, OGC Nice has no reason to feel intimidated by the Lyon team, which, despite holding the top spot in the standings, is far less impressive than in previous seasons. Indeed, Juninho’s teammates have performed respectably in Ligue 1 with 12 victories, 1 draw, and only 4 defeats, but Antonetti’s squad hopes to match their Marseille neighbors, who managed to win in Lyon last November with a score of 2-1. To do this, they must give their all and fight for every ball from the first to the last minute against a team disadvantaged by having played a Champions League match on Wednesday against Glasgow Rangers, which ended with a nice French Champions victory in Scotland with a score of 3-0.
On the Nice side, the trip to Rhรดne Alpes is being prepared calmly, firmly positioned in seventh place, the result of the consistent work of a red and black group that has learned lessons from last season’s challenges. With a good result in Lyon, the Nice team could host Valenciennes with the secret hope of reaching the Top 5 before the break and securing an unexpected Christmas gift early in the year. But let’s not put the cart before the horse, as the ninety minutes in Lyon will undoubtedly be anything but restful, involving a fierce struggle against opponents eager to erase their last underperformance in Caen (a 1-0 defeat).
The LFP has appointed the referees for the Lyon vs. Nice match on Saturday, December 15 (18th Round of Ligue 1). Lionel Jaffredo will be officiating, assisted by Corinne Lagrange and Philippe Tugdual.
