The new Ligue 1 season gets underway on Friday night following a three-month layoff, with Nice hosting Lille in the curtain-raiser.
Nice endured a turbulent 2022-23 campaign, securing ninth after a managerial change, while fifth-placed Lille finished nine points above the Eagles.
Match preview
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Nice head into 2023-24 season with a new manager at the helm, as Francesco Farioli replaced caretaker boss Didier Digard in June, with the latter taking over from Lucien Favre midway through the previous campaign.
Although Digard enjoyed an impressive interim spell – losing just five of his 25 matches after replacing Favre in January – the Nice hierarchy decided not to appoint the former club captain on a permanent basis, bringing in Farioli as his successor.
Having made a name for himself with Fatih Karagumruk and Alanyaspor in Turkey, Farioli will be determined to prove his worth in France, although the 34-year-old Italian remains largely inexperienced at the top level.
The Eagles managed to win just one of their five pre-season friendlies under their new manager, claiming a 1-0 victory over Ligue 1 rivals Montpellier, with defeats against Lausanne, Braga and Fiorentina tarnishing Farioli's preparations.
Still, Nice can take confidence from the fact that only Lens and Rennes conceded fewer home goals last term, while the Eagles lost only five of their 19 league matches at Allianz Riviera in 2022-23, picking up seven wins and seven draws along the way.
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In fairness, it could be argued that Lille also experienced a below-par 2022-23 campaign, as the 2020-21 champions finished fifth in the final standings, snatching a Europa Conference League qualification berth for their troubles.
Les Dogues lost nine of their 38 league matches last season, picking up 19 wins and 10 draws in the process, although they suffered just two defeats across the final 14 matches to end the campaign on a positive note.
Paulo Fonseca's men won each of their first three pre-season friendlies last month, dispatching Dunkerque, Cercle Brugge and Le Harve while scoring a combined total of 13 goals.
Since then, however, Lille have lost against Italian side Empoli and drawn with Premier League club Brentford, meaning that Fonseca will be eager for his players to rediscover their best form when they visit Allianz Riviera.
Unfortunately for Les Dogues, they posted the ninth-best away record in Ligue 1 last term, recording six wins, six draws and seven losses on their travels, so they must improve on the road if they are to break back into the top three.
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Team News
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There are question marks over the fitness of Nice defender Youssouf Ndayishimiye, who missed several games at the back end of last season due to a knee injury.
With rumours regarding the future of highly-rated midfielder Khephren Thuram continuing to circulate, Farioli will be hoping that he can call upon the 22-year-old on Friday.
The Eagles have made a number of summer signings, bringing in Terem Moffi from Lorient, Jeremie Boga from Atalanta BC and Morgan Sanson from Aston Villa, although Calvin Stengs, Kasper Dolberg, Aaron Ramsey and Ross Barkley have all left the club.
Lille have also been busy in the transfer market, signing Samuel Umtiti, Tiago Santos, Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, Lisandru Olmeta and Aaron Malouda, with Timothy Weah and Jose Fonte moving in the opposite direction.
Les Dogues look set to start the season without the injured duo of Edon Zhegrova (muscle) and Tiago Djalo (ACL), while key forward Jonathan David could leave the club before the transfer window closes.
Nice possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Lotomba, Dante, Amraoui; Beka Beka, Rosario, Belahyane, Diop; Bouanani, Guessand, Brahimi
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Santos, Diakite, Yoro, Ismaily; Andre, Baleba, Haraldsson, Cabella, Ounas; David
We say: Nice 1-1 Lille
Given that Nice and Lille have both experienced big changes in recent months, Friday's clash will likely be a scrappy affair as both sides aim to grow into the new season, with a low-scoring draw looking like the most probable outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
