If Strasbourg believes they underperformed in the first leg, the Nice team thinks they deserved more than just a one-goal victory.
This matchup has almost become a classic in the final phases of men’s competitions, and statistics give a slight advantage to Nice.
This year, however, they will need to be even more cautious of their opponents, especially during the second leg in eastern France.
Indeed, this season, Team Strasbourg has shown a surprising level of consistency for a club that changed coaches midway through the season and lost their iconic captain (who became the coach). Only Marseille managed to snatch a victory at Kibitzenau, while Nice left empty-handed.
The loss in the first leg is not a factor that Igor Racunica’s players want to dwell on, as they are only trailing by one goal.
The Strasbourg players will be playing to reach a final for the first time in the club’s history. They are fully aware that the task ahead is difficult, but they are also counting on the eighth man, the crowd, to support them.
‘And as we’ve seen throughout the season… anything is possible!’ says Stéphane Metzger.
The Nice team shares a similar sentiment, as they must be content with their situation but would have liked to be slightly more secure: ‘Ultimately, it’s not bad for us. We’ll play in Strasbourg without overthinking because we won’t be able to manage it. We’ll need to set an even faster pace than on Saturday because they are very hard to move at home, and we need to be focused from the first second of the match,’ analyzes Rémi Garsau.
And Strasbourg will have to be careful because Nice’s fourth-place finish at the end of the regular phase is not representative of the threat they pose in the final stretch.
