This Sunday, OGC Nice heads to the capital to face Paris FC, as part of the 24th matchday of Ligue 1. Against a poorly ranked opponent, the Gym’s room for maneuver will be minimal. Their three points will be crucial in the race for survival. All the pre-match information for this encounter can be found here.
OGC Nice will certainly have regrets! On the last action of the match, against Lorient last weekend (3-3), Claude Puel’s men let slip the victory and three precious points in the race for survival. Frustrating for the Eagles, who thought they finally had a win in their pocket, but still can’t manage one at the Allianz Riviera. The Gym had led by two goals on the scoreboard during this match, without success. The Eagles are still chasing their first home win in Ligue 1 since the end of October. At the time, Melvin Bard and his teammates had won in front of LOSC (2-0).
If the Gym no longer advances at home, the Azur club also performs poorly away. Far from home, OGC Nice has only the 15th record of the season in Ligue 1. The Eagles are encountering many difficulties away from home. While Puel’s squad has already traveled 11 times in the league since the start of the season, they have won only twice. It was at Rennes (1-2) last October – where Jonathan Clauss and his teammates suffered until the final seconds of the match – and more recently on Nantes’ pitch (1-4) at the end of January. Under these conditions, it is difficult for Nice to make real progress in the race for survival. Against Paris FC (kick-off this Sunday at 3 p.m. at Jean-Bouin Stadium), they must not revive a direct competitor.
Still without Wahi
On the squad side, there should be no major upheavals at OGC Nice. Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Isak Jansson, Elye Wahi and Moïse Bombito – whose return is expected for the first half of March – are still unavailable. The first two played again on Wednesday during a friendly match with the elite squad against RC Grasse. Both victims of cruciate ligament ruptures, the two Eagles played 45 minutes each in this match. A positive first step for them, although it will still take time and positive feelings before seeing them return to Ligue 1 pitches.
On the other side, Paris FC occupies 15th place in Ligue 1, just one point behind OGC Nice, 14th. In their return to the elite, the promoted club is experiencing a difficult season despite their ambitions and displayed financial means. On a streak of six matches without a win across all competitions, PFC decided to part ways with their coach, Stéphane Gilli, in favor of the experienced Antoine Kombouaré. The usual troubleshooter will have the heavy task of guiding the Paris club toward survival in the elite. Bad news for Nice, the former Nantes man has historically done well against the Eagles. The former defender has not lost any of his last seven direct encounters against the Nice club.
Probable lineups:
Paris FC: Trapp – Gory, Mbow, Coppola, Otavio, Sangui – Lopez (C), Lees-Melou, Munetsi – Kebbal, Immobile
Nice: Dupé – Clauss, Oppong, Dante (C), Bard – Sanson, Vanhoutte, Diop – Boudache, Cho, Louchet.
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