Nice are unbeaten in two straight games in Ligue 1 ahead of Sunday’s visit from Lille. The Eagles are 10th in the table and trying to make a climb toward the European qualification places.
After last season’s highs under former manager Christoph Galtier, Nice haven’t experienced the same success. Since losing the Coupe de France Final to Nantes, Nice have struggled to recover.
Premier entraînement avec l’#OGCNice pour #Ndayishimiye 📸 pic.twitter.com/h81dQ8j7TA— OGC Nice (@ogcnice) January 26, 2023
Premier entraînement avec l’#OGCNice pour #Ndayishimiye 📸 pic.twitter.com/h81dQ8j7TA
Lille are sixth in the standings and knocking on the door of the European qualification places. Three points separate Lille from fifth-place Rennes going into the weekend fixture.
Paulo Fonseca’s team is in fine form with nine of their last 10 games ending without a defeat. Lille are coming off a 5-1 hammering of Troyes in Ligue 1 and will be confident of gaining another positive result at Nice.
The last six games between these clubs were divided into two wins, two draws, and two defeats apiece. The clubs met earlier this season with Nice going to Lille and leaving with a 2-1 victory.
The away team has won the last three games between Nice and Lille, which bodes well for Les Dogues.
Lille go into the weekend having taken 12 points from their last 18 points on offer in the league. The defence is playing well, as it conceded just three times across the last six games. Meanwhile, Lille scored 10 times in those six games.
Les Dogues are unbeaten in back-to-back away fixtures. Fourteen of their points have come on the road this season compared to 20 from matches played at home.
Nice picked up nine points from the last 18 points on offer in the league, scoring nine goals and conceding four times.
The Eagles are not one of Ligue 1’s better home teams, as they have picked up 12 points from nine games at the Allianz Riviera Stadium this term. On the road, Nice have tallied 13 points from 10 fixtures.
Midfielder Youcef Atal and goalkeeper Marcin Bulka are both set to miss the game for Nice through injury. Fonseca has far more personnel problems at Lille. Les Dogues will be missing Carlos Baleba due to a suspension.
Fellow midfielders Adam Ounas, Andre Gomes, and Jonas Martin are all ruled out or major doubts to play. Forwards Jonathan Bamba and Gabriel Gudmundsson are both likely to miss the game with leg injuries.
Nice have drawn seven of 19 games in Ligue 1 this season, with three of those stalemates taking place at home. Sunday’s game should see the French rivals cancel each other out with a 1-1 draw at full-time.