OGC Nice take on Lille in weekend encounter.

2024-11-04

In a captivating clash at the Allianz Riviera, OGC Nice look to harness their exhilarating midweek momentum as they face a determined LOSC Lille, with both teams eager to bolster their league positions in this intriguing Ligue 1 showdown.

Nice

Nice fought back from a two-goal deficit to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw against Twente in their Europa League midweek clash. Jérémie Boga made an instant impact, scoring with his first touch after his second-half introduction, while fellow substitute Mohamed-Ali Cho completed the comeback for Nice two minutes from time. This was despite the team going down to 10 men following Sofiane Diop’s red card in the 70th minute.

‘It was definitely a rollercoaster for everyone involved,’ Franck Haise said after the game. ‘Sometimes, a few changes can ignite the team’s spirit, and that’s precisely what happened when we brought Jérémie and Mohamed-Ali into the game,’ he added, reflecting on his substitutions.

The Europa League draw brought an end to Nice’s two-game winning streak in Ligue 1, which included victories against Monaco and Brest, 2-1 and 1-0 respectively. Currently, the Eaglets are fifth on the league table, with 16 points after 10 games, and are two points behind Lille, who they face this weekend.

While Nice aims to extend their league winning run this Sunday, they have found Lille to be a challenging opponent in recent home games, with just one win in their last five league encounters on home soil. However, Nice can draw inspiration from their strong home form, having secured two wins in their last three league matches at the Riviera, including an emphatic 8-0 victory over Saint-Étienne.

Evann Guessand is expected to feature in attack as Haise opts for a 3-4-2-1 formation.

LOSC Lille

Meanwhile, Lille held firm to earn a 1-1 draw against Juventus in the Champions League. "We scored a very good point," Bruno Génésio said after the game, despite his team’s failure to hold on for the win, having taken the lead via Jonathan David in the 27th minute.

Lille will now return to domestic action this weekend, aiming to get back to winning ways. Last Friday, the Mastiffs experienced a similar outcome in Ligue 1 against Lyon, where David’s early goal in the 17th minute was cancelled out by Malick Fofana’s stoppage-time equaliser in the 90+1st minute.

With the draw, Lille’s second in their last five Ligue 1 games, they have now accumulated 18 points from 10 games with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses. The visitors have been impressive on the road in recent times, picking up three wins in their last four away games across all competitions.

They will hope this record counts for something when they travel to Nice this weekend. A 4—2—3—1 formation is expected, with Jonathan David leading the attack.