This weekend, OGCN faces RC Strasbourg at the Meinau. An important match against a direct competitor for qualification to Europe.
A match between the third and fourth. As we slowly approach the end of the season, the point gap between the top teams is minimal. Not counting Paris, which has 13 points over their Marseille runners-up, Nice and Strasbourg, in third and fourth place respectively, will face each other this Saturday on the occasion of the 26th day of Ligue 1. The chance for these two teams to come back and possibly overtake the Olympians.
Nice needs to keep the momentum going. After their nice victory last week, 1-0 against Angers, Christophe Galtier’s men will have to fight away against a surprising Strasbourg team. The Aiglons will need to take their revenge against an Alsatian team that humiliated them at home. Beaten 3-0 at the Allianz, Galtier’s team managed to bounce back with 7 consecutive victories. Driven by a well-performing attack (35 goals in 25 matches), the Nice team must still be serious and disciplined. The best defense in Ligue 1, the Niçois cannot count on many players in this sector due to the absence of Todibo, Daniliuc, Amavi, or Atal. But the southern team’s squad is well-stocked, and Galtier has multiple choices. He can also rely on an effective offensive sector. Kluivert is gaining intensity and is capable of turning a game around single-handedly. An offensive duo working well this season with Gouiri and Delort, the experienced Dante will be present in the central defense, and the midfielders Lemina, Rosario remain solid.
Strasbourg, in fourth, will also have cards to play. A team that no one expected to be so high at this stage of the season. Driven by excellent players, the Alsatian team continues to impress since the start of the season. The second-best attack in Ligue 1 behind PSG, Julien Stephan’s team can rely on forwards in great shape. Kévin Gameiro, who arrived this season with good stats (9 goals and 1 assist) but especially the team’s finisher, Ludovic Ajorque, who leads Strasbourg in this championship (10 goals and 7 assists). The Alsatians benefit from a major asset in midfield with Thomasson, who is one of the best players this season.
With a revamped defense, the Niçois will need to be serious defensively against one of the best attacks in Ligue 1. A match that promises to be close yet open with two teams that have been producing beautiful play since the start of the season. The Niçois will have to be effective if they want to beat a direct competitor for a place in the Champions League.
Probable lineups:
Nice:
Goalkeeper: Benitez
Defenders: Lotomba, Rosario, Dante, Bard
Midfielders: Boudaoui, Lemina, Thuram, Kluivert
Forwards: Delort, Gouiri
Absentees: Todibo, Daniliuc, Amavi, Atal
Strasbourg:
Goalkeeper: Sels
Defenders: Perrin, Nyamsi, Djiku
Midfielders: Guilbert, Thomasson, Prcic, Bellegarde, Caci
Forwards: Gameiro, Ajorque
Absentees: Liénard, Le Marchand, Kawashima, Doukouré
