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Nice
Ligue 1 | Gameweek 8
Sep 18, 2022 at 2pm UK
Stade Municipal du Ray
Angers

Nice
0 - 1
Angers


Todibo (1')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Bentaleb (43')
Hountondji (32'), Boufal (40'), Fofana (86')

Preview: Nice vs. Angers - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Ligue 1 clash between Nice and Angers, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Two Ligue 1 teams in the bottom half of the table will meet on Sunday when Nice welcome Angers to the Allianz Riviera.

The hosts are yet to win on home soil so far this season, while the visitors are winless in their last 13 top-flight away matches.


Match preview

Nice head coach Lucien Favre pictured on September 15, 2022© Reuters

Nice have endured a below-par start to the new campaign so far, winning two, drawing two and losing three of their opening seven Ligue 1 fixtures.

Les Aiglons have also played out two 1-1 draws in their first two Europa Conference League group-stage matches, including Thursday night's encounter away in Belgrade against Partizan.

After making 13 signings over the summer and spending around £60m, Lucien Favre is yet to see continuity from his side which will need to change if they wish to challenge on all front this term.

Nice have lost three of their last four Ligue 1 home matches, but their recent record against Angers bodes well heading into Sunday's contest.

Les Aiglons have won their last four top-flight games against Angers by an aggregate score of 9-1 and they have also lost just one of their last 14 home meetings against them, so Favre and co should be confident of claiming maximum points this weekend.

Angers coach Gerald Baticle on February 4, 2022© Reuters

After failing to win any of their opening six Ligue 1 matches, including four successive defeats in which they conceded 15 goals, Angers claimed maximum points for the first time this season when they beat Montpellier 2-1 last weekend.

Adrien Hunou cancelled out an opening strike from Arnaud Nordin, before Sofiane Boufal completed the turnaround with a converted penalty in the 69th minute, his third successive goal on home soil.

That victory will have eased the pressure on head coach Gerald Baticle, who will now be looking to claim successive league victories for the first time since his first two games in charge of the club back in August last year.

Since playing out a goalless draw at home to Nantes on the opening weekend, Angers have conceded a league-high 18 goals, three times as many compared with this stage of last season.

The Black and Whites have also failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last six meetings with Nice, so improvements in defence are required if they are to come away with a positive result on Sunday.

Nice Ligue 1 form:
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W

Nice form (all competitions):
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • D
  • W
  • D

Angers Ligue 1 form:
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • W


Team News

Nice's Nicolas Pepe in action with Partizan's Svetozar Markovic and Slobodan Urosevic on September 15, 2022© Reuters

Nice will be without Andy Delort, Aaron Ramsey and Morgan Schneiderlin due to injury, but Pablo Rosario is available after serving a one-match suspension last week and the midfielder could return to the starting lineup ahead of Mario Lemina.

Left-back Joe Bryan, who scored against Partizan in midweek, is expected to be replaced by Melvin Bard, joining 38-year-old centre-back Dante – the oldest player in Ligue 1 – in the back four.

Winger Sofiane Diop will be hoping to force his way into the first XI ahead of either Rares Ilie or Hicham Boudaoui, while Arsenal loanee Nicolas Pepe is set to continue in behind central striker Gaetan Laborde.

As for Angers, Halid Sabanovic and Ulrick Eneme-Ella are both ruled out with injuries, while Ibrahim Amadou is doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Number one goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni was dropped last weekend and replaced by Yahia Fofana, who is expected to continue between the sticks on Saturday.

Sofiane Boufal, who has scored three goals in his last five games, is set to continue on the left flank, joining Azzedine Ounahi and Abdallah Sima in attack.

Nice possible starting lineup:
Schmiechel; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Rosario, Thuram; Boudaoui, Pepe, Diop; Laborde

Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Valery, Houtondji, Blazic, Doumbia; Bentaleb, Mendy; Ounahi, Hunou, Boufal; Sima


SM words green background

We say: Nice 2-1 Angers

A closely-fought contest between two under-performing sides is set to take place at the Allianz Riviera, but Nice will be regarded as the favourites to claim maximum points.

The hosts did the double over Angers last season, winning by a one-goal margin on both occasions, and we can see a similar outcome on Sunday.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data


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Game History

How you voted: Nice vs Angers

Nice
86.7%
Draw
11.1%
Angers
2.2%
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG12102036102632
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3Marseille1272327161123
4Lille115421811719
5Lyon125431916319
6Reims125342016418
7Nice1145221111017
8Lens124531312117
9Auxerre115152019116
10Toulouse124351314-115
11StrasbourgStrasbourg113442022-213
12Brest124171622-613
13Saint-EtienneSt Etienne124171125-1413
14Rennes113261318-511
15NantesNantes112451417-310
16Angers112451320-710
17Le HavreLe Havre11308823-159
18Montpellier HSCMontpellier122191132-217


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