Nice-Paris: Direction Côte d'Azur

THE TABLE

With 21 wins, three draws and five defeats from their 29 league games, Paris Saint-Germain head the table on 66 points, six points clear of nearest challengers, RC Lens and Olympique de Marseille.

OGC Nice are currently eighth on 45 points (11 wins, 12 draws, 6 losses), putting them just ahead of Olympique Lyonnais (44 points) and FC Lorient (44). Stade de Reims are a point better off than Saturday's hosts.

THE FIRST MEETING THIS SEASON

It was Matchday 9, 1 October, at the Parc des Princes, of course. A sublime Leo Messi free-kick opened the scoring, a delightful left-footed curling effort that beat Kasper Schmeichel (1-0, 29').

The visitors equalised in the opening minutes of the second half: Gaëtan Laborde finishing off after being teed up by Youcef Atal (1-1, 47'). It wasn't before the 83rd minute that Kylian Mbappé combined with Nordi Mukiele and Vitinha to score the winner (2-1, 83'). It was the Parisians' seventh successive win in all competitions.

OUR OPPONENT's MOMENTUM

Nice were held by the league's bottom side, Angers SCO, 1-1 in their last league game having won two and drawn two of their previous competitive outings. Didier Digard, who played for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2007/08 season, has reversed Nice's fortunes in his four months in charge.

He has yet to taste defeat, currently enjoying a 14-game unbeaten streak, and it's not since 7 January that Nice were last beaten, losing to third-tier side Puy Foot 43 in the Coupe de France Round of 64 while Lucien Favre was still coach. Their last Ligue 1 defeat at home came against Angers (0-2) on 18 September, 2022.

Kylian Mbappé vs. Terem Moffi

Kylian Mbappé, currently level with Lille's Jonathan David atop the league's scoring chart, will be looking to beat Schmeichel to reach 20 Ligue 1 goals for the season. Since his return from injury in mid-February, he's scored three times in his last two away games (2 vs. Marseille, 1 vs. Reims). If he finds the net, the number 7 will become Paris' all-time leading scorer in Ligue 1: he's currently tied with Edison Cavani on 138 goals.

Nice's Terem Moffi is also in excellent form. After joining Nice from Lorient in the winter window, he's scored four times and registered two assists in his last four games, taking him to a prolific 16 league goals for the season.

11 DECEMBER 2016 : Paris – Nice, A LEGENDARY GAME

Nice were league leaders when they came to the Parc des Princes, standing proudly on 39 points from 16 games with their hosts in third on 35 points. Wylan Cyprien's peerless free-kick opened the scoring and gave the visitors the initiative (0-1, 32'), and they extended that advantage when Dalbert found Alassane Pléa in the penalty area, and he beat Kevin Trapp just before the break (0-2, 45'). 

The Parisian reaction was immediate upon their return to the pitch: Marco Verratti sent Serge Aurier clear behind the Nice defence, and his cross was perfect for Cavani to pull one back from close range (1-2, 46'). On the hour, 'El Matador' was again in the right place at the right time to get on the end of Layvin Kurzawa's cross from the left to level things up and raise the roof of the Parc (2-2, 60'). Neither side could find a way through in a gripping last half-hour as the points were shared.

TWO clubs, ONE PLAYER: Daniel Bravo

Born in Toulouse in 1963, Daniel Bravo started his pro career at Nice in 1980 aged just 17. After two promising seasons, he was called up by France, and in a team featuring Platini, Giresse, Rocheteau and Tigana, he scored against Italy on his debut, helping Les Bleus' win against the Squadra Azzurra for the first time in 61 years. Nicknamed 'The Little Prince', he left Nice in 1983 only to return for another spell four years later before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 1989. 

In the red-and-blue shirt, the EURO '84 winner played 280 games across seven seasons, and enjoyed some notable successes: winning the Coupe de France in 1993 and 1995, the same year he won the Coupe de la Ligue, and he also picked up a Ligue 1 winner's medal in 1994. In his last season with the club, he won the Trophée des Champions and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup having been switched from an attacking to a defensive midfielder by coach Luis Fernandez. He rejoined Nice a third time for the final season of his career, eventually tallying 177 matches for them before retiring in 2000.

Speaking to PSG TV at Paris Saint-Germain's 50th anniversary celebrations in August 2020, he explained his attachment to the the club: "For me, I'm very proud to be part of Paris Saint-Germain's history. With Guérin, Fournier and others, we had some competitive teams and managed to do some good things, because we gave everything for the club. We're professionals, so yes, that's what we should do, but we felt really good at this club, we wanted to give the best of ourselves, give our all. I feel so proud to be part of this great club's history."