Top-four chasing Nice and relegation-threatened Nantes will get the Ligue 1 weekend underway when they meet at the Allianz Riviera on Friday night.
Both sides fell to defeat last weekend, with Nice losing more ground in the race for Champions League qualification, while Nantes have been dragged back into the fight at the bottom.
Match preview
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Despite taking the lead before half time in a crucial clash against fellow top-four rivals Monaco on Saturday night, Nice blew the chance to move into second place, losing 2-1 in the principality.
That result means Nice have taken just one point from their last three games, and clearly-irate manager Franck Haise took aim at owner Jim Ratcliffe too, hitting out at the new Manchester United figurehead for not attending a single match this season.
Ratcliffe had initially claimed that watching Nice does not excite him, and unless Haise's men can up their performance levels in the final seven matches of the season, they are in grave danger of surrendering their current spot in the top four.
Nice's final three away games will be against Strasbourg, Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes, who are among the three most in-form sides in France at present, so results here at the Riviera must be near-perfect.
With Nantes, Angers, Reims and Brest all still to visit, they represent four winnable games given the recent form of those clubs, and Nice have the advantage of playing first this weekend, handing them a second opportunity to move into second, albeit temporarily.
As we enter the final two months of the season, there is a six-horse race for the three remaining Champions League places, with second-placed Monaco and Lyon in seventh separated by just five points.
Improving on the 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture will be pivotal for Haise's side, but Nice are winless in six matches against Nantes, after winning four in a row between 2020 and 2022.
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However, Nantes have also suffered from a drop in confidence in recent weeks, with Antoine Kombouare's men now back in relegation trouble after a 3-2 defeat to 16th-placed Le Havre last weekend.
Timothee Pembele's 88th-minute winner settled the encounter, after Nantes had pegged Le Havre back twice, but it was ultimately a fifth defeat in seven matches for the Canaries.
Wins over Lens and Lille recently made it appear that Nantes were on course to cruise away from trouble, but wins for Le Havre and Reims last weekend have pulled them back in.
Assuming Saint-Etienne are awarded three points for the abandoned fixture against Montpellier, that will mean the five teams between 13th and 17th will be split by just four points, with only three assured of survival.
Team News
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Dante's red card late on in the defeat to Monaco means the veteran Nice defender will be suspended for this encounter, joining Melvin Bard on the sidelines, as the left-back is serving an extended ban after picking up a second red card in four matches.
There is only one injury worry for the hosts though, but it does concern important midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, who is currently missing with a groin issue.
Nice's light injury list is down to the fact that they were able to welcome Morgan Sanson and Terem Moffi back to the squad last weekend, with the latter coming on for the final 10 minutes after a very long layoff with an ACL tear.
Nantes also have a suspension to deal with in defence, because Jean-Charles Castelletto will serve the second game of his two-match ban here, for the red card he picked up against Lille before the international break.
Alban Lafont and Fabien Centonze remain away from the squad, while Adel Mahamoud played twice for Comoros during the break despite missing all of the season so far, and he was absent again last weekend.
Muscle injuries are currently keeping Marcus Coco and Tino Kadewere on the sidelines, Nathan Zeze is absent at present for the Canaries with an ankle problem, while Pedro Chirivella was forced off before half time in the defeat to Le Havre a week ago.
Nice possible starting lineup:
Bulka; Bombito, Ndayishimiye, Abdelmonem; Clauss, Rosario, Santamaria, Abdi; Guessand, Laborde, Boga
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lopes; Amian, Sow, Pallois, Cozza; Lepenant, Douglas Augusto; Thomas, Abline, Simon; Mohamed
We say: Nice 2-1 Nantes
Nice's form has tailed off at the worst possible time, with just one point taken from a possible nine during March, but this fixture does provide them with an excellent opportunity to move level on points with second-placed Monaco.
Away form has been a big problem of late for Nantes, as they have lost three in a row, conceding 12 in the process, and even though they have won on two of their last three visits here, it is tough to see them repeating the feat again.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
