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MEDIAACEH.CO.ID – Nice vs Nantes prediction in French Ligue 1 continued, Nice’s top four rivals return from the international break on Sunday, when Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes visit Allianz Riviera under new management.
Les Canaris have turned to a familiar side to avoid relegation, while their hosts chase Champions League football for next season.
After exceeding expectations during the first half of the 2023-24 season, a six-match winless run – including five defeats – left Nice behind in their bid to qualify for Europe.
Shortly after being knocked out of the Coupe de France by Paris Saint-Germain, the French Riviera club played their final game before international football stepped in, and they turned things around at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Terem Moffi scored twice alongside Khephren Thuram’s second-half goal as Nice secured a 3-1 win over Lens, who they leapfrogged in the Ligue 1 standings as a result of snapping their worrying winless streak.
Therefore, Francesco Farioli’s side will resume action in fifth place, just one point behind Lille and just four behind surprise side Brest, who are second behind leaders PSG.
Although they have recorded just two home defeats in 13 Ligue 1 matches, Les Aiglons are now looking to snap a three-match winless run at the Allianz Riviera that began at the start of February.
However, Nice have not won any of their last four games against Nantes, including the previous game in December, when they ultimately suffered their first defeat of the season. Since then, Farioli’s men have lost eight of their 17 games – but they hope things have now turned around.
After a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Strasbourg in their last game, which left them 16th in the table and occupying a relegation playoff spot, Nantes changed managers for the second time this season.
Since replacing Pierre Aristouy in November, Jocelyn Gourvennec has lost 10 of his 15 games in charge of Les Canaris, with defeats in each of the last three – against Metz, Marseille and then Strasbourg – leaving them just two points clear of the relegation zone.
This prompted owner Waldemar Kita to reappoint Antoine Kombouare, who returned to the dugout after being sacked last May: since his sacking, Nantes have lost 17 of their 30 Ligue 1 games, more than any other team in the same period.
Kombouare led the Loire club to Coupe de France glory in 2022, before We judged he had run out of steam at the end of last season; The former PSG boss returns with a match against one of his bogey teams: he has lost 17 of his 26 league meetings with Nice to date.
Eight games remain to save Nantes from relegation, which would trigger an extension to his stay at the Stade de la Beaujoire, but Kombouare’s first task will be to improve on a modest away record of 13 points from the 36 available so far this season.
After celebrating his first league goal of the season against Lens, Khephren Thuram was forced to miss Sunday’s match, as he joined Pablo Rosario who is serving a suspension for picking up three yellow cards in the space of 10 Ligue 1 games.
Their absence will force Francesco Farioli to fill the midfield, but Nice can still rely on nine-goal top scorer Terem Moffi to lead the line, with support from Jeremie Boga and Mohamed-Ali Cho – the latter of whom provided two goals last time out. .
While Sofiane Diop’s leg injury rules him out this week, Valentin Rosier could recover from a muscle problem in time to make the bench.
Returning Nantes boss Antoine Kombouare will be without one of his main players for the remainder of the season, after Moses Simon was injured in Nigeria’s friendly against Mali last week – the winger has scored three goals and provided five assists in the league.
In his absence, top scorer Mostafa Mohamed shoulders more of the attacking burden, while Kader Bamba could come into the starting XI. The latter player has recorded the most minutes played as a substitute in Ligue 1 this season (388); he also received a red card without coming off the bench in the previous game in December.
Elsewhere, Brazilian midfielder Douglas Augusto will return to the visiting squad after a one-match ban, but Ignatius Ganago (ACL) and Bastien Meupiyou (knee) are sidelined through injury.
Nice vs Nantes player predictions
Nice : Bulka; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Claude-Maurice, Sanson, Traore; Cho, Moffi, Boga
Nantes: Lafont; Amian, Castelletto, Comert, Cozza; Sissoko, Augusto, Chirivella; Kadewere, Mohamed, Bamba
Nice vs Nantes Score Prediction: 2-1