Last match of the first half of the season for the Niçois who travel this Friday evening (8:30 PM) to Amiens to face RC Lens. After a fine 3-2 victory in Caen and a disappointing 0-0 draw against Saint-Etienne, the Aiglons could break into the top half of the table with a win. A victory as a Christmas gift?
To avoid an unpleasantly salty or spicy Christmas dinner, it’s better to come back from the North with points in the return luggage. The last match this year in Amiens (Bollaert is under renovation) against 19th-placed Lens to finish on a high note. With four points taken in the last two matches, the Aiglons are doing better and are looking slightly upwards even though the overall situation remains fragile.
Even if Hult (injured), Carlos Eduardo, and Mendy (suspended) will be absent, Nice travels with ambitions and some players returning to form. Valentin Eysseric is delivering good performances consistently, Simon Pouplin and Mathieu Bodmer were decisive on Sunday, and Jordan Amavi continues to impress Ligue 1 specialists.
“We are careful to avoid any distraction. We want the players to remain very serious in their approach, of course. They are made aware of the importance of the match against a very generous opponent,” explained Claude Puel in a press conference on Wednesday.
OGC Nice is coming off an important victory in Caen (3-2) and seems more comfortable away from home compared to last season. With 3 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses, Nice is the eighth team when it comes to away games. A Lens-Nice match hasn’t occurred since October 2010. To find the last victory of the Azuréens against the Artésiens, one has to go further back to March 26, 1988 (1-0).
“We always aim to get points both away and at home. We have to be ambitious, regardless of the current form. The content at Caen interested me. I saw a lot of good things in psychological, tactical, and technical aspects,” analyzed the Nice coach in a pre-match press briefing.
In the North, the situation is improving. The DNCG has lifted the recruitment ban on Lens after the shareholder paid 4 million euros. On the pitch, it’s more complicated. The Sang et Or have not won in the last three matches (2-0 against Metz on November 29) and have been lingering in the relegation zone for more than six weeks. But Antoine Kombouaré’s men compensate for their lack of individual talent with an irreproachable spirit. Twice trailing in score against Lille and Montpellier, they came back to secure a draw.
Three points and the horizon will clear up; one or zero points and the situation will become more complicated. Against Lens, who will be desperate to climb out of the bottom of the standings, Nice has a great opportunity to settle into the top 10 and enjoy peaceful holidays. All that’s needed is…
Photo credit and more information on www.ogcnice.com
