We’re into the final furlong now as we approach the last few games of the Ligue 1 season. French football has really come into its own since last August with a campaign full of exciting twists and turns at both ends of the table. Now, it’s all a case of seeing who can hold their nerve. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be an interesting clash between Strasbourg and Nice.
Strasbourg Form GuideStrasbourg, in the eyes of romantic football historians, hold a special place in the annals of the French game. However, after barely avoiding relegation last season, there’s a lot of pressure on them to perform. They have a nice blend of veterans and young talent and if the season so far has told us anything, it’s that they’ve found a solid enough structure to work with in the months ahead.
Following a 1-0 loss to Monaco, Strasbourg rattled off wins over Nantes and Rennes. They proceeded to draw 0-0 with Toulouse and from there, the inconsistency continued, as they defeated Reims 3-1 before suffering a 1-0 loss to Lille.
Nice Form GuideAfter another midtable campaign last season, Nice went back to the drawing board in the summer and did everything they could to assemble a strong, competitive unit from top to bottom. Based on early evidence, it certainly seems as if they’ve achieved that goal, but the big test will come in the weeks ahead as they attempt to claw back up into contention.
Nice truly are one of the most difficult teams to predict in French football right now. They lost to PSG, then beat Lens. They lost to Nantes, then drew 0-0 with Reims. They battered Lorient 3-0, then only managed a 2-2 draw on the road to Marseille.
Match PredictionIt certainly feels like Nice are the stronger of the two sides here and we do think they’ll be able to pick up a nice win, but Strasbourg will make them work for it - and that much feels like a guarantee. In terms of a prediction, we’re going to play it safe and shoot for under 2.5 goals scored.
