After an impressive win over Stade Reims at the weekend, Lens will head south with a chance to reinsert themselves into the race for Europe. Nice are coming off an ugly loss to promoted side Le Havre, and will need to be at their best to keep Les Sang et Or at bay.
After an uneven start to the season, Lens are looking more like the team that ran Paris Saint-Germain close for the title last year. Unbeaten in eleven, they’ve shaken off the loss of Loïs Openda, and despite a frustrating elimination from the Champions League, their domestic form has been strong indeed.
For this match, though, the hosts will have several key absences, including in defence, where Jonathan Gradit and Kevin Danso are suspended. With Deiver Machado also injured, Franck Haise’s defence will be a little threadbare, much as it had been against Reims, when Facundo Medina and Gradit having missed out there as well.
The hosts will welcome back Florian Sotoca and Elye Wahi, though, and the two should again provide danger in attack against a Nice side who will be facing absences of their own. Jean-Clair Todibo was sent off against Le Havre, and holding midfielder Youssouf Ndayishimiye also misses out, for an accumulation of bookings.
π₯ A bad evening for #OGCNice...
— OGC Nice π¬π§πΊπΈ (@ogcnice_eng) December 16, 2023
Jean-Clair Todibo is sent off by the referee. Samuel Grandsir also receives a red card.#HACOGCN (3-0, 80') pic.twitter.com/CJWX45nnhR
The versatile Pablo Rosario is likely to partner Dante in defence, while in midfield, Hicham Boudaoui could play a deeper role, with Morgan Sanson being included from the off. These absentees could prove crucial for Les Aiglons, with Todibo one of the league’s standout defenders to date, and Terem Moffi also a doubt, but manager Francesco Farioli was adamant about his side’s ability to rebound from what was an ugly loss to the promoted Normandy side.
“After a painful defeat, we must lift our heads, we must find the right state of mind as a team of fighters, which we have always been. This match against Lens is fundamental for the rest of the season.”
While there is still plenty of football to play, Farioli is correct — a loss could see Nice drop as many as eight points behind leaders PSG. For Lens, the stakes aren’t as high, but a win could move them as high as fourth, and to within three points of their opponents on the evening, no small matter in an increasingly hard-fought race to secure a place in Europe next season.
Predicted Lineups:
RC Lens: (3-4-3): Samba; Khusanov, Medina, Haïdara; Aguilar, Abdul Samed, Diouf (or El Aynaoui), Frankowski; Sotoca, Wahi, Fulgini
OGC Nice: (4-3-3): Bulka; Lotomba, Rosario, Dante, Bard; Sanson, Boudaoui, Thuram; Laborde, Guessand (or Moffi), Boga
