Aiming to cling onto a spot in the qualification rounds of the Champions League, Nice welcome fellow European hopefuls Brest to Allianz Riviera on the final day of the Ligue 1 campaign this weekend.
Le Gym suffered a damaging 2-0 defeat at the home of Rennes last time out, whilst Les Pirates secured a comfortable success over top-four chasing Lille.
Match preview
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After finishing fifth during the 2024-25 campaign and subsequently advancing into the League Phase of the Europa League, Nice are on a mission to go a step further this time around as they try to secure a top-four placement and Champions League football for the first time since 2017.
Le Gym were on course to achieve their goal as they enjoyed a four-game unbeaten streak – a spell which included a 3-1 battering of champions Paris Saint-Germain – however Saturday’s hosts have since endured a difficult afternoon at Rennes, where Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga bagged a brace.
Dropping points in the top flight for the first time in May during last weekend’s trip to Roazhon Park, Nice are are currently occupying fourth position in the Ligue 1 standings ahead of their final-day meeting with Brest, level on points with Lille and Strasbourg in fifth and sixth respectively.
A victory of any description over Les Pirates would all-but guarantee a spot in the Champions League for Le Gym, who have performed admirably on their own patch across the course of the 2024-25 campaign, losing just two of their 16 Ligue 1 battles at fortress Allianz Riviera.
Joining last summer, head coach Franck Haise is aiming to return to the top level of European football in the dugout of Nice, with the 54-year-old remarkably guiding Lens into the Champions League courtesy of a second-placed finish during the 2022-23 season.
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Following back-to-back defeats at the end of an inconsistent April, Brest have kick-started May with consecutive home victories in Ligue 1 to keep their faint European dreams alive, beating bottom side Montpellier HSC on May 4 before easing past the attentions of Lille last Saturday.
Chasing down the Champions League spots, Les Dogues were the favourites for the clash at Stade Francis-Le Ble last time out, however Les Pirates managed to produce a shock result, with goals either side of the half-time whistle from Kamory Doumbia and leading marksman Ludovic Ajorque sealing the triumph.
Collecting a maximum of six points from their May itinerary to date, Eric Roy‘s troops have moved up to eighth spot in the Ligue 1 table, four points behind seventh-placed Lyon, meaning that only a finish of eighth or ninth is possible on the final day of the campaign.
That being said, Les Pirates still possess a slight chance of qualifying for Europe next season, should PSG beat Reims in the Coupe de France final and Lyon suffer a ban from UEFA competitions due to the club’s dire financial situation.
Brest will leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of a return to the continental stage but know they must better or equal the result of ninth-placed Lens, who host Champions League-bound Monaco on Saturday night at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
Team News
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After earning a suspension-inducing yellow card during the defeat to Rennes last weekend, Nice midfielder Pablo Rosario is unable to feature on Saturday night.
Le Gym’s options in the engine room are further reduced by the absence of former Tottenham Hotspur man Tanguy Ndombele, who picked up a groin problem in February.
Joining the Frenchman in the hosts’ medical room, Mohamed Abdelmonem (knee) and Youssouf Ndayishimiye (knee) will play no part at Allianz Riviera this weekend.
Brest are enduring somewhat of an injury crisis at the conclusion of this term, with over five first-team players sidelined for the trip to Nice.
Les Pirates are unable to call upon the talents of ex-Aston Villa defender Jordan Amavi, who suffered a calf strain in the middle of April.
Nice possible starting lineup:
Bulka; Dante, Bombito, Bard; Clauss, Boudaoui, Boga, Sanson, Abdi; Guessand, Laborde
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Lala, Fernandes, N’Diaye, Haidara; Camara, Magnetti, Doumbia; Del Castillo, Pereira-Lage, Ajorque
We say: Nice 1-0 Brest
Despite the defeat at Rennes last weekend, Nice remain in a good place and should be confident of putting Brest to the sword on home soil.
Le Gym are one victory away from returning to the Champions League, meaning that motivation should be at an all-time high for the hosts at Allianz Riviera.
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