Girondins de Bordeaux - OGC Nice Sunday at 17:05 CET (1505 GMT)

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Bordeaux’s unbroken 30-year stay in the top flight is dangerously close to coming to an end, with the six-time champions ending last weekend six points from outright safety and four points adrift of AS Saint-Etienne in the relegation play-off place. By the time they kick off against Nice they will know the results of their relegation rivals, but they start May knowing that - if results go against them - they could be nine points from outright safety with just nine points to play for and the worst goal difference in the division.

How did it come to this? The first thing to say is that the decision to sack Vladimir Petkovic in mid-February and replace the former Switzerland coach with David Guion has not had the desired impact. Les Girondins were bottom of the table when the managerial change was made, but they sat just a point from outright safety. Guion’s opening game was a creditable 1-1 draw at home to AS Monaco, but he has managed just one win in 10 altogether and there are signs that the team is beginning to lose hope.

Last week Bordeaux threw away a two-goal lead and then a 3-2 lead to lose 5-3 away at FC Nantes in the Atlantic derby. Jimmy Briand missed a late penalty which would have made the score 4-4. Prior to that Bordeaux squandered a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 with relegation rivals Saint-Etienne and before that they were beaten 6-1 away at Olympique Lyonnais. It already looks like catching Saint-Etienne and taking the play-off spot is their best hope.

Watch: Bordeaux beaten in eight-goal Atlantic derby

Of the many striking statistics that help explain Bordeaux’s plight, the most damning is the number of goals they have conceded. They have let in 84 and, even with four games left, that is already the highest total conceded in a season by a team in the last 40 years. It is the highest number let in by a team after 34 top-flight matches since Red Star in 1965-66, who had conceded 87 at the same juncture.

“We have been conceding far too many goals recently. It feels like our opponents don’t need to create too many chances to cause us problems,” said Guion, who insists he is still up for the fight.

“I have to stay focused on my team. I am with the players and focused on the fight for survival. I have to have the right attitude. That is essential. It would be no use panicking and communicating that to the players. But that does not mean I am not determined and completely focused on the objective of avoiding relegation.”

Cup final distraction?

For Nice the concerns are very different. How Bordeaux fans would love their team to be a week away from a Coupe de France final and on course to qualify for Europe. Yet Nice have blown a very strong position in the league table: They were clear in second place after beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in early March and seemed to be on course for Champions League qualification, which is where owners Ineos really want to be.

Since then, though, Christophe Galtier’s side have managed just two wins in seven games. Both of those victories have been secured thanks to very late goals at home to struggling opponents, with Nice requiring a stoppage-time Khéphren Thuram strike to beat ESTAC Troyes 1-0 last weekend. As a result, they finished last weekend in fifth place, which offers a place in next season’s Europa Conference League.

Watch: Nice toil to beat Troyes

However, they remained within two points of the podium and so Galtier knows his side cannot be distracted by the prospect of next week’s trip to the Stade de France to play Nantes.

“This is absolutely not a rehearsal for the final. This is a very important match for us, like a semi-final,” Galtier declared on Friday. “We are on course to qualify for Europe. I have put the fact we have a final next weekend out of my mind. We need to stay on course for Europe going into the final three league games.”

While Bordeaux’s defence has been all at sea, they do have the best attack in the bottom half. Meanwhile, Nice have the best defensive record in the division with just 29 goals conceded.

Bordeaux are without Enock Kwateng, who has a hamstring injury and joins Timothée Pembélé and Alberth Elis in the treatment room. Stian Gregersen is suspended. Tom Lacoux is a contender to start at right-back while Benoît Costil should continue in goal having recently been dropped from the team.

Morgan Schneiderlin is out for Nice but could return for the Cup final, while Youcef Atal and Alexis Claude-Maurice are both out for the remainder of the campaign.

Probable teams

Bordeaux: Costil; Marcelo, Guilavogui (c), Ahmedhodzic; Lacoux, Onana, Ihnatenko, Mangas; Dilrosun; Hwang, Mara

Nice: Benitez; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante (c), Bard; Kluivert, Lemina, Rosario, Thuram; Delort, Gouiri

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