Preview: Nice vs. Strasbourg – prediction, team news, line-ups
Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Ligue 1 clash between Nice and Strasbourg, including predictions, team news and possible line-ups.
Pleasant host Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
These teams finished fifth and sixth respectively last season, so it should be a high-quality affair at the Allianz Riviera.
Match preview
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After missing out on a Europa League qualification spot by goal difference last season, Nice will instead contest the Europa Conference League under Lucien Favre.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss, who is entering his second spell at the club after a successful two-year stint between 2016 and 2018, replaced Christophe Galtier earlier this summer after the 55-year-old naturally opted to join defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Favre, of course, helped Nice qualify for the Champions League by guiding them to third place – their best league result in decades – in his first season in charge in 2016-17.
Whether the former Swiss international can take the Aiglons to such dizzying heights again remains to be seen, with last weekend’s 1-1 draw against newly-promoted Toulouse not exactly representing the perfect start to a new campaign. .
Defeat seemed likely after Thijs Dallingaearly strike for hosts, but beginner Aaron Ramsey characteristically equalized just 12 minutes from time, with the Welsh midfielder coming on late from a reduction to smash the ball into the top corner.
Favre will demand a better collective performance from his players, with Strasbourg likely to represent a move upmarket.
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Indeed, Strasbourg’s sixth-place finish last time out was their best Ligue 1 finish in 32 years.
Former Rennes boss Julien Stephan continued Racing’s forward momentum of recent years, taking them to the cusp of a European qualifying spot, only to fail terribly at the end.
Improving on, or even matching, the remarkable achievements of last season may prove difficult for Stephan and his players this season, with last weekend’s 2-1 loss at home to Monaco failing to inspire belief that they can compete with the big boys in Ligue 1 for a second consecutive season. .
In all honesty, there was absolutely nothing Strasbourg could do Krepin Diattathe formidable opening of , with the winger volleying from outside the box, but the goalkeeper Matz Salts may think he should have made a tame effort away from danger rather than on the way to Sofiane Diopwhich doubled the visitors’ lead.
Habib DialloThe header raised hopes of a comeback, but Monaco ultimately held firm, with Stephan hoping for more from their players against another Riviera-based side on Sunday.
Nice Ligue 1 form:
Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:
Team News
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Nice are in an enviable position of having no injury issues limiting Favre’s options at present.
Despite the lack of fitness, Ramsey could receive a start after making a decisive impact from the bench at Toulouse, with Alexis Beka Beka potentially make way for the former Arsenal and Juventus man.
Kasper Schmeichel could also make his debut in goal, with his signing from Leicester City coming in a little too late to be launched directly last weekend.
Strasbourg, meanwhile, will probably travel without Nordine Kandil (the muscle), Eiji Kawashima (shoulder) and Lebo Mothiba (diseases).
Despite the defeat, Stephan can trust the same starting XI to start again, with Diallo and Ludovic Ajorque one of the strongest strike couples in the division.
Beautiful starting composition possible:
Schmeichel; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Rosario, Thuram; Stengs, Ramsey, Gouiri; Delort
Possible starting line-up from Strasbourg:
salts; Perrin, Nyamsi, Djiku; Pierre-Gabriel, Prcic, Bellegarde, Liénard; Thomasson; Diallo, Ajorque
They say: Nice 2-1 Strasbourg
We expect to see an open and entertaining game in Nice on Sunday, with perhaps the hosts ahead of them.
While Strasbourg’s front two are up there with the best in Ligue 1, Nice arguably have a stronger collective balance, and with Favre back at the helm, they could be set for a solid season.
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Trick
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