Nice begin a new era for the club on Wednesday when they host Marseille in a Ligue 1 clash at the Allianz Riviera.
Taken over by Ineos at the beginning of the week, Patrick Vieira’s side are set to be revolutionised, with significant financial muscle now behind them in the form of Britain’s richest man, Jim Ratcliffe.
Marseille, meanwhile, have had a difficult start to the season under new boss Andre Villas-Boas and find themselves travelling along the Mediterranean coast seeking their first win of the season.
| Game | Nice vs Marseille |
| Date | Wednesday, August 28 |
| Time | 8:00pm BST / 3:00pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN Sports / beIN Sports en Espanol | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the match will be shown live on BT Sport ESPN. It can be streamed via BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BT Sport ESPN | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Nice squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Benitez, Clementia |
| Defenders | Burner, Herelle, Dante, Pelmard, Atal, Cisse |
| Midfielders | Lees-Melou, Cyprien, Tameze, Lusamba, Sylvestre, Thuram |
| Forwards | Sacko, Le Bihan, Ganago, Srarfi |
Nice are boosted by the return of first-choice goalkeeper Walter Benitez and full-back Youcef Atal, neither of whom had played at all this season.
There are still numerous absentees for Vieira to juggle, with Malang Sarr, Remi Walter and Danilo among those players sidelined.
Racine Coly is banned and will also miss the encounter.
Possible Nice starting XI: Benitez; Burner, Herelle, Dante, Pelmard; Lees-Melou, Cyprien, Tameze; Sacko, Le Bihan, Ganago
| Position | Marseille squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Mandanda, Dia, Pele |
| Defenders | Sakai, Kamara, Alvaro, Amavi, Caleta-Car |
| Midfielders | Lopez, Gustavo, Strootman, Chabrolle, Khaoui, Sanson, Sarr |
| Forwards | Benedetto, Payet, Lihadji, Germain, Radonjic |
Florian Thauvin’s ongoing absence due to ankle trouble is Marseille’s only injury concern.
Dario Benedetto is set to continue in attack, despite missing a penalty on debut against Nice, while Alvaro Gonzalez is the other summer signing set to start.
Possible Marseille starting XI: Mandanda; Sakai, Kamara, Alvaro, Amavi ; Lopez, Gustavo, Strootman ; Barr, Benedetto, Payet
Betting & Match Odds
Nice are 23/10 outsiders with bet365 to get the victory at home. Marseille are on offer at 5/4 while the draw is 11/5.
Match Preview
Getty ImagesNice’s new era starts with a home match against Marseille in Ligue 1, a game that has been pushed back from the weekend due to security concerns relating to the G7 political summit that took place in Biarritz.
Having been taken over by Ineos, Nice have financial muscle to match that of any club outside of Paris Saint-Germain in France’s top flight, while they have the ambition to be Champions League regulars in three to five years.
However, this is a long way off, with the club set to scramble to complete a summer’s worth of transfer work in the final five days of the market.
“We must temper the expectations of the supporters,” Bob Ratcliffe, president of Ineos football and brother of owner Jim, told the media. “We must build foundations and be patient because we want to attain that level and remain there.”
Certainly, the team approaches the midweek match looking in a rather half-baked state. The offensive problems that were left by the previous ownership have only grown more acute over the summer owing to the departure of Allan Saint-Maximin and an injury to Youcef Atal, leaving Patrick Vieira with only a modest arsenal of forwards.
To his credit, the former Arsenal and France midfielder has found ways to be successful even with these restrictions, but it is telling that Nice’s four goals this season have all arrived from set plays.
Just a couple of hundred kilometres along France’s south coast, Marseille are struggling in a similar capacity with greater means. Andre Villas-Boas’ side wait on their first goal of the season, having lost 2-0 at home to Reims on the opening weekend of action before being held scoreless in Nantes 10 days ago.
New signing Dario Benedetto has made an inauspicious start, having seen a penalty clatter against the bar, and already there is pressure upon the team for a passionate but unforgiving fanbase.
OM’s Champions Project, started by owner Frank McCourt in 2016, is beginning to look a complete misnomer and is becoming a standing joke in the world of French football.
In the week that Ineos took over in Nice, they have the ambition to make it look even more ridiculous.