Unbeaten Nice will be looking to strengthen their grip on the Ligue 1 title race when they take on Montpellier at the Stade de la Mosson on Friday night.
With 11 matches in the books, Nice find themselves one point clear of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain thanks to a flying start to the season.
How was your weekend? #OGCNice #OGCNSRFCpic.twitter.com/7Z7nvBvr4t— OGC Nice 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@ogcnice_eng) November 5, 2023
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At the opposite end of the standings, Montpellier occupy 13th place. Not only are they 14 points shy of Nice, but they are also just one point outside the bottom three.
Nice extended their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-0 victory over Rennes last weekend, while both sides finished the game with 10 men.
Remarkably, that was Nice’s fourth successive clean-sheet victory, and also their sixth consecutive clean sheet in Ligue 1.
With that in mind, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that Nice boast the best defensive record in the French top flight, having conceded a measly four goals in 11 games.
The league leaders have picked up seven wins and four draws this term, taking 25 points from a possible 33 to remain unbeaten.
Montpellier, meanwhile, suffered a 3-0 defeat to PSG last time out, with the visitors managing just 29% possession and two attempts on target.
The Ligue 1 strugglers have lost two of their previous three matches, conceding five goals while firing two blanks in the process.
When you look at the bigger picture, Montpellier have managed to win just three of their 10 league games this season, recording three wins and four losses along the way.
That said, Montpellier have scored six goals in four home games this term, so they will be hopeful of finding the back of the net on Friday.
Head-to-head: Nice did the double over Montpellier last season, with a 6-1 thrashing preceding a 3-2 victory at the Stade de la Mosson.
Across the past 12 league meetings, the two sides have played out a solitary draw, with Nice claiming six victories and Montpellier notching five wins.
Team news: Montpellier are expected to be without the injured duo of Arnaud Nordin and Becir Omeragic on Friday.
As for Nice, they will be missing suspended midfielder Youssouf Ndayishimiye, while Swiss defender Jordan Lotomba remains sidelined due to injury.
When you couple Montpellier’s iffy form with Nice’s impressive unbeaten run, all the signs point towards an away victory on Friday.
Forebet predicts that both teams will find the back of the net at the Stade de la Mosson. However, Nice look set to outscore the hosts and maintain their unbeaten record.