On Sunday, OGC Nice will face Strasbourg for the 27th matchday of Ligue 1. The team from Nice will aim to bounce back at home and strive for a spot in the European places.
This morning, during the press conference, Dante and Patrick Vieira expressed caution regarding their Lorraine opponent, who has been surprising since the start of the season.
“We will be focused and will give our all to put on a great performance in front of our supporters.” The captain of the Aiglons is probably right; it is at home where the Gym will collect points at this end of the season. Undefeated at home in 2019, Nice aims to get back on track at the Allianz Riviera after two setbacks away from home. But it will be a tough task against Strasbourg, who are 8th in the standings and tied on points with the red and blacks.
A high level of play displayed by Racing which even surprised the Brazilian defender: “They impressed me against Monaco and Paris with their aggressiveness and the complementarity of their players.” In a championship where the 5th and 10th places are only 4 points apart, Dante adds: “As long as there is hope, we will be there until the end; it’s a decisive match against a direct opponent, and we will approach it as a final.”
A race for Europe is still attainable, one in which the coach from Nice wants to participate: “No team has really pulled ahead, it would be a shame not to believe in it,” he says. The first step of this final sprint is happening on Sunday at 3 p.m., but before that, Patrick Vieira must stop this small negative spiral and help his players regain the “discipline and spirit” lost in the past two matchdays.
The azure coach expects to encounter a team “strong from an athletic point of view, and with a lot of attacks from the sides thanks to Kenny Lala’s crosses,” but he remains convinced they have the means to challenge this team.
Indeed, Nice is counting on the return of their talented player, Youcef Atal. The Algerian has participated in all the team training sessions this week and is expected to be included in the squad. With Myziane Maolida and Ignatius Ganago still in recovery, Allan Saint-Maximin will take on the offensive leadership to help OGC Nice remain undefeated on their home turf.
Yassine Said Hassane
