Paris v. Nice: The challenge on the Côte d'Azur
Three days after being held to a 1-1 draw by FC Nantes at the Stade de la Beaujoire, Paris Saint-Germain will be returning to Ligue 1 action at 20:45 CET tomorrow, when they welcome OGC Nice to the Parc des Princes. So, whether it’s through the two teams’ current form or through their players to watch, here’s an overview of what awaits Les Rouge et Bleu against an OGCN side in the hunt for a Champions League spot.
THE TWO TEAMS' CURRENT FORM IN NUMBERS
THE OPPOSITION'S STRENGTHS
Franck Haise tends to set his side up in a 5-2-3 formation. In goal, Poland international and former Paris Saint-Germain keeper Marcin Bułka has established himself as one of the safest pairs of hands in the French top flight, while Mohamed Abdelmonem and the rock-solid Youssouf Ndayishimiye are expected to start in front of him, with the latter of the two potentially even inheriting the captain's armband in the absence of the emblematic Dante. The third centre-back to start at the Parc tomorrow remains to be seen, however, with either Moïse Bombito making his return or Melvin Bard lining up as the visitors' preferred option in the event that the Canada international were to be absent.
At right-back, Jonathan Clauss is proving to be indispensable to his side, while the aforementioned Bard may face competition from Ali Abdi for a place on the opposite flank. As for the midfield, Nice's French coach should be able to rely on the duo of Pablo Rosario and Hicham Boudaoui, while the more experienced Morgan Sanson and Baptiste Santamaria may make appearances midway through the game, with former Lyon man Tanguy Ndombélé likely to miss out through injury.
In attack, two players stand out and are expected to start again against Paris: Jérémie Boga (1 goal and 1 assist in Ligue 1 this season) on the left wing and Gaëtan Laborde (9 goals, 5 assists) in a hybrid centre-forward role. The uncertainty lies on the right flank, where Nice have several options: first, Evann Guessand (11 goals, 6 assists), who has been very effective since the start of the season, but also Mohamed-Ali Cho (3 goals, 3 assists), Badredine Bouanani (2 goals, 1 assist) and Sofiane Diop (6 goals, 3 assists).
OGC Nice certainly don’t lack attacking options, especially with the return of Terem Moffi, who could be brought into the team in a central position during the second half, while Germany international Youssoufa Moukoko (2 goals) has struggled in recent months and no longer seems to be part of his coach’s plans.
A look back at the REVERSE FIXTURE
