Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Ligue 1 clash between Nice and Lille, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two sides with similar recent runs will lock horns on Wednesday as Nice welcome Lille to the Allianz Riviera for round 10 of Ligue 1.
Both teams have recorded two wins, one draw, and one defeat in their last four games across all competitions, bouncing back from their respective continental setbacks with victories in the league over the weekend.
Match preview
After their Europa League defeat to Celta Vigo last week, Nice responded with an impressive 2-1 away victory over Rennes at the weekend to continue their strong domestic run.
A dominant first-half display was enough to seal the win, as goals from Sofiane Diop and Jonathan Clauss put Franck Haise’s men two up before the break, rendering Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal’s second-half strike a mere consolation.
Despite not having the most favourable run of fixtures, Nice remain unbeaten in their last four Ligue 1 matches, a sequence that includes a 2-2 draw at Monaco and a 3-2 home win over Lyon.
Strong starts have been a theme for Haise’s side in that stretch, with their two first-half goals at Rennes meaning they have led at the break in each of their last four league games, while Le Gym have now recorded back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.
Les Aiglons sit eighth in the table with 14 points from nine matches (W4, D2, L3), three adrift of the Conference League playoff spot, having scored 14 and conceded 15.
Nice will approach this midweek clash with optimism, having won six of their last eight league games at the Riviera (W6, D1, L1) stretching back to last season, and avoiding defeat on Wednesday will see them go five unbeaten games in Ligue 1 since hitting six between January and March.
Like the hosts, Lille have also enjoyed a solid recent run, collecting seven points from their last three top-flight outings, including a 6-1 demolition of bottom-placed Metz last weekend.
That emphatic win means Les Dogues are the joint-top scorers in the division heading into this round with 22 goals — level with Marseille — while their 11 goals conceded place them among the top five defences.
Currently fifth in the standings with 17 points from nine matches (W5, D2, L2), Lille could climb as high as second with a win on Wednesday, depending on other results.
Two wins from four away league games this season suggest Bruno Genesio’s men travel with confidence, though the Riviera has not been a happy hunting ground.
Lille have managed just one win in their last 13 visits (D7, L5), though their 2-1 victory at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in the last meeting should offer some encouragement.
Nice Ligue 1 form:
Nice form (all competitions):
Lille Ligue 1 form:
Lille form (all competitions):
Team News
Nice finished their last game without any fresh injury concerns, though Franck Haise remains without several key players.
Defenders Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Mohamed Abdelmonem, and Moise Bombito, along with striker Terem Moffi, are all sidelined, while Mohamed-Ali Cho is a doubt.
Haise will once again rely on Diop’s attacking spark, with the in-form forward finding the net in each of the last four league matches, including a brace against Monaco, taking his tally to five for the season.
For Lille, defenders Ousmane Toure and Alexsandro Ribeiro remain out injured. Ethan Mbappe and veteran forward Olivier Giroud were unavailable last time out and remain doubtful, with Hamza Igamane expected to lead the line again.
Felix Correia, fresh from his first two goals for the club in the Metz rout, should keep his place in the side.
Nice possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Mendy, Oppong, Bard; Clauss, Boudaoui, Vanhoutte, Abdi; Diop, Boga; Carlos
Lille possible starting lineup:
Ozer; Meunier, Mandi, Mbemba, Perraud; Andre, Bouaddi; Correia, Haraldsson, Fernandez-Pardo; Igamane
We say: Nice 2-2 Lille
Both sides enter Wednesday’s clash in high spirits following back-to-back league wins, and with three of the last four meetings ending level, another draw looks likely at the Allianz Riviera.
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