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Nice
Ligue 1 | Gameweek 17
Dec 5, 2021 at 4pm UK
Stade Municipal du Ray
Strasbourg

Nice
0 - 3
Strasbourg


Daniliuc (45+1'), Atal (66'), Rosario (84')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Ajorque (21'), Diallo (81'), Thomasson (84')
Sissoko (35'), Ajorque (45+3'), Bellegarde (47')

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

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

Having gone two games without a win and a goal, Nice will aim to get back on track in Sunday's Ligue 1 battle with Strasbourg.

Christophe Galtier's side held Paris Saint-Germain to a goalless stalemate in midweek, while the visitors put five past a hapless Bordeaux.


Match preview

Nice head coach Christophe Galtier pictured in August 2021© Reuters

Taking a point home from the Parc des Princes is nothing to be sniffed at, but Nice will feel frustrated not to have come away with all three, as Kasper Dolberg was presented with the simple task of heading into an empty net but could only watch his effort cannon out off the post.

Kylian Mbappe was also guilty of spurning a gilt-edged opportunity on the night as Nice and PSG shook hands on a point apiece, but with results elsewhere going their way, Les Aiglons remain firmly in contention for a top-four finish.

With Rennes and Lens both failing to win in the midweek round of fixtures, Nice have held their fourth-placed ranking in the table - one point behind Rennes and two adrift of second-placed Marseille - while PSG continue to ride off into the sunset.

Worryingly, 2020-21 title winner Galtier has led his side to just one victory from their last four in Ligue 1, and home is not where the heart is for Les Aiglons, who have suffered back-to-back defeats to Montpellier HSC and Metz at the Allianz Riviera without scoring.

There is still ample time for Nice to get their Champions League charge back on track, but while they have struggled to make the net ripple on familiar territory, free-scoring Strasbourg needed no such lessons in the visit of Bordeaux.

Strasbourg players celebrate against Paris Saint-Germain on August 14, 2021© Reuters

Strasbourg under Julien Stephan are a sight to behold when they are in such ruthless goalscoring form, and this week's visitors to the Allianz Riviera produced a five-star performance to sweep aside a troubled Bordeaux in front of their own fans.

Hwang Ui-jo may have given Les Girondins the lead, but Ludovic Ajorque, Kevin Gameiro, Adrien Thomasson and Dimitri Lienard responded emphatically for Strasbourg before Ajorque grabbed his second following Alberth Elis's consolation.

Now unbeaten in five in the top flight and developing a penchant for goal-laden victories, Stephan's side are firmly in the European mix as they sit sixth in the table - three points adrift of Lens - but they are unable to usurp fourth-placed Nice just yet.

Nevertheless, Strasbourg are now one of only two teams in Ligue 1 to have broken the 30-goal mark this season - sitting second in the goalscoring charts behind PSG - but only eight of their 31 strikes have come on the road, where they are winless in four.

Strasbourg prevailed 2-0 on Nice's turf as recently as May after falling to a 2-0 defeat at home to Les Aiglons back in August, and interestingly, the last five meetings between the two clubs have seen only one side find the back of the net.

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

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



Team News

Nice's Hicham Boudaoui and Justin Kluivert celebrate scoring their first goal with teammates on August 28, 2021© Reuters

Nice midfielder Pablo Rosario is back from suspension for Sunday's game and could take the place of Morgan Schneiderlin, but it would be harsh to see the ex-Manchester United man dropped.

Evann Guessand and Robson Bambu represent the hosts' only two injury concerns ahead of this game, with Youcef Atal fit enough to make the bench against PSG and in line to earn some minutes here.

Amine Gouiri was only given a 10-minute run out against the league leaders in midweek but will surely make his return to the first XI this weekend as Justin Kluivert prepares to make way.

As for Strasbourg, Stephan has no fresh injury or suspension concerns to contend with, but Lebo Mothiba and Maxime Le Marchand may not be ready to return from injuries just yet.

Habib Diallo will surely have to make do with a spot on the bench once more, as Gameiro and Ajorque seek even more joy as the visitors' strike partnership.

With Thomasson and Lienard both bagging one goal and one assist apiece in the thrashing of Bordeaux, the likes of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Jean-Eudes Aholou are also set to keep the bench warm alongside Diallo.

Nice possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Atal, Lemina, Schneiderlin, Gouiri; Delort, Dolberg

Strasbourg possible starting lineup:
Sels; Guilbert, Djiku, Nyamsi, Perrin, Lienard; Sissoko, Prcic, Thomasson; Ajorque, Gameiro


SM words green background

We say: Nice 2-1 Strasbourg

Strasbourg are a different beast when playing in front of a home crowd, but their goalscoring exploits and overall form away from home have been alarmingly poor in comparison.

Nice's recent travails at the Allianz Riviera are nothing to write home about either, but with a bit more of a clinical edge, Galtier's side will hope to return to winning ways on their own patch.



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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Written by
Ben Knapton

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Nice win with a probability of 50.16%. A draw had a probability of 25.5% and a win for Strasbourg had a probability of 24.35%.

The most likely scoreline for a Nice win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.13%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (9.41%) and 2-1 (9.38%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (12.1%), while for a Strasbourg win it was 0-1 (7.8%). The actual scoreline of 0-3 was predicted with a 1.3% likelihood.


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Game History

How you voted: Nice vs Strasbourg

Nice
70.4%
Draw
14.8%
Strasbourg
14.8%
27
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rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Paris Saint-GermainPSG16124044143040
2Marseille1593332181430
3MonacoMonaco1693426161030
4Lille1576225151027
5Lyon157442720725
6Nice156632819924
7Lens156631914524
8Auxerre156362323021
9Toulouse156361717021
10Reims155552018220
11Brest156182427-319
12Rennes155282020017
13StrasbourgStrasbourg154562527-217
14NantesNantes153571724-714
15Angers153481426-1213
16Saint-EtienneSt Etienne1541101234-2213
17Le HavreLe Havre1540111129-1812
18Montpellier HSCMontpellier1523101538-239


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