Europe » Rest Of Europe » France

Ligue 1 Preview: Nice – Olympique Lyonnais

Miserably out of form OGC tackle the league leaders on Saturday evening. The hosts are leaking goals while the visitors are scoring for fun, so expect an action-packed evening...

Oct 23, 2009 1:00:27 PM

Champions League : Cris & Kim Kallström (Olympique Lyonnais)

Photo Gallery

Zoom

Champions League : Cris & Kim Kallström (Olympique Lyonnais)

Teams

Kick-Off: Saturday, October 24, 2009. 19:00 CET
Stade du Ray, Nice

Wings Clipped

When Nice won their opening game of the season away in Saint-Etienne, it was suggested that Didier Olle-Nicolle’s side might just be in for a strong season. Overlooked was the fortunate nature of the victory, which saw les Aiglons clinging on for much of the match only for the prolific Loic Remy to breakaway in the second half to register.

In hindsight this was simply a foreboding of what was to follow as Nice have largely been dreadful in this campaign. Frederic Antonetti walked away in the summer after a mediocre conclusion to the season, claiming things had become stale at the club towards the end of his four year tenure, but matters haven’t got any better under the guidance of ‘DOM’. In fact, they’ve got a whole lot worse.

The rookie Ligue 1 boss, who arrived from Clermont in the summer, is already under a great deal of pressure. Nice may be in touch with the pack on eight points, but they have suffered a raft of humiliating defeats already this season. Newly promoted Montpellier have already won 3-0 at the Stade du Ray, while Lorient put a two game unbeaten sequence to the sword last weekend in Brittany, running out easy 4-1 winners.

Defensively, le Gym are a shambles, having lost a whopping 20 goals in just nine matches – by far the weakest record in Ligue 1 aside from bottom club Grenoble, who have shipped 19. Their prospects against league leading Lyon don’t look bright.

In Fine Fettle

While the home side are down in the dumps, Lyon must feels kings of the world at the moment after defeating Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield, showing general manager Claude Puel exactly what he would have wanted to see after a surprising home loss against Sochaux last time out.

Lyon were flat against les Lionceaux, but they roused themselves superbly for Tuesday’s fixture in England. Although they fell behind in the first half and had to suffer something of a mini-siege towards the end of the period, they were largely the better side and fully deserved to turn the game around after the interval.

All this was achieved without the help of a single recognised centre-back, as Cris went off before half-time, simply joining a whole hospital’s worth of injured defenders. The news regarding his fitness is good, and it was indicated on Thursday night that he will definitely feature on Saturday.

Puel will want to rotate his squad somewhat to stop the first team becoming tired and stagnant, but he will also want to preserve some key performers in his starting XI. OL have been one of the most prolific sides in the league, and important offensive players such as Lisandro Lopez should find themselves on the field from the outset at the weekend.

On recent form, this should be something of a no contest. Assuming last weekend’s defeat was inflicted by the ‘FIFA virus’ – the phenomenon of shock results after an international break due to player fatigue - that so many Spanish sides talk about, les Gones are in very bright form indeed, attacking with purpose and scoring freely away from home.

Nice beware.

FORM

Nice

LOST 4-1 (a) Lorient (Ligue 1, Matchday 9, October 18)

WON 3-2 (h) Valenciennes (Ligue 1, Matchday 8, October 3)

DREW 1-1 (a) Lille (Ligue 1, Matchday 7, September 27)

LOST 4-1 (a) Saint-Etienne (Coupe de la Ligue, 1/16 final, September 23)

LOST 3-1 (h) Monaco (Ligue 1, Matchday 6, September 19)

Lyon

WON 2-1 (a) Liverpool (Champions League, Matchday 3, October 20)

LOST 2-0 (h) Sochaux (Ligue 1, Matchday 9, October 17)

WON 2-0 (a) Racing Club de Lens (Ligue 1, Matchday 8, October 3)

WON 4-0 (a) Debrecen (Champions League, Matchday 2, September 29)

WON 2-1 (h) Toulouse (Ligue 1, Matchday 7, September 26)

TEAM NEWS

Nice

There are no chronic injury worries for Nice, who will be without Mahamane Traore due to injury. Emerse Fae was shown a red card last weekend and is banned.

Otherwise they could have a full panel to select from. Onyekachi Apam and Drissa Diakite both return from one match bans, while Eric Mouloungui should be fit after missing out the defeat to Lorient due to illness.

Probable Starting XI: Ospina; Diakite, Apam, Cid, Paisley; Echouafni, Sable, Hellebuyck; Ben Saada, Remy, Mounier

Lyon

OL have received some mixed news on the injury front since their midweek Champions League match. One the sunny side, Cris will be fit to take his place in the centre of defence, however, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was declared doubtful on Friday morning due to an adductor problem.

Jean-Alain Boumsong continues his recover from injury, while Cleber Anderson, Mathieu Bodmer, Nicolas Seguin and Sebastien Faure – all centre-backs – are injured.

Slight rotation will be employed in the outfield, with the likes of Maxime Gonalons hopeful to start.

Probable Starting XI: Vercoutre; Clerc, Cris, Toulalan, Cissokho; Pjanic, Gonalons, Kallstrom; Govou, Gomis, Lisandro

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nice

For Nice there is only one man worthy watching at the moment: Loic Remy. A player initially sold by OL to les Aiglons, the Rhone Valley side did all they could to lure him back in the summer. Nice refused to let they young forward go, stating that he was indispensable to the club. They were not wrong as he has proven their only constant source of excellence. He has four league goals for the season to date.

Lyon

While Miralem Pjanic’s increasingly mature performances continue to capture many headlines, Lyon’s player of the season to this point is someone who was strongly touted with a move away in the summer. Kim Kallstrom had become somewhat flat towards the end of last season, but he has rejuvenated himself brilliantly, becoming a key member of the midfield corps. As well as working hard in the middle of the field, he has added goals to his game, scoring recently against Debrecen and Lens.

PREDICTION

To predict anything other than a comfortable away win would be exceptionally bold. Nice are leaking goals with regularity, and even with their first line defence back in place will struggle to match les Gones. Boosted by the Liverpool win on Tuesday, and probably fairly well rested after it, OL should win with ease. This prediction might be a little generous towards the home team, but it will certainly depend on Lyon’s hunger to go forward and try to score more goals.

Nice 0-3 Olympique Lyonnais

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

Thank you for your comment!

Please enter your name

Please enter your location

Please share your comment!