The Round 8 match of the group stage of the Europa League 2025/26 between Ludogorets Razgrad and Nice will take place on 29 January at Ludogorets Arena in Razgrad. Ludogorets Razgrad vs Nice: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Ludogorets Razgrad
Ludogorets Razgrad played in the previous round away to Rangers and lost 0:1. Note that before that the home side had played two matches at this venue in the competition, registering a win and a draw. Also, for the first time in five group-stage matches the hosts failed to score. The club sits in 25th place and is only one point outside the top 24. To reach the play-offs the team must win in the final round and also hope for point drops from rivals. Interestingly, matches involving the Bulgarians and Dinamo Zagreb have been the highest-scoring in the current tournament – an average of 3.7 goals per game.
- The team has just 1 win in the last 6 Europa League matches (1 draw and 4 defeats).
- At least three goals were scored in 7 of Ludogorets Razgrad's last 9 matches in this competition.
- Both teams scored in 8 of the last 10 Europa League games for the Bulgarians.
Potential Ludogorets Razgrad Lineup (4-3-3)*
Hendrik Bonmann – Anton Nedyalkov, Dinis Almeida, Olivier Verdon, Son – Deroi Duarte, Pedro Henrique, Petar Stanić – Caio Vidal, Eric Marcus, Yves Eric Bile.
Defender Agibu Camara is out with an injury.
Nice
Nice secured their first win of the current group stage in the last round, beating Go Ahead Eagles 3:1 at home. The victory also ended a long 18-match winless run in this competition (3 draws and 15 defeats). Nice sits on 3 points in 33rd place and is no longer in contention for a top-24 finish. Also note that the visitors are conceding an average of 2 goals in the current tournament, with only three opponents having worse defensive figures.
- At least three goals were scored in 6 of the club's last 7 matches in this competition.
- Nice have lost all 13 of their most recent away matches in the Europa League.
- The French side have conceded at least two goals in 7 of their last 10 away games in this tournament.
Potential Nice Lineup (4-3-3)*
Maxime Dupé – Brad-Hamilton Mancunga, Ali Abdi, Juma Ba, Kojo Oppong – Mohamed-Ali Cho, Salis Abdul-Samed, Tiago Gouveia – Tom Lushe, Charles Vanhoutte, Kevin Carlos.
Defenders Mohamed Abdelmonem and Youssouf Ndayishimiye, as well as defender Moiz Bombito, are in the club's infirmary. Note that forward Terem Moffi and midfielder Jérémy Boga are seeking federation permission to terminate their contracts with the club (both are on sick leave). Forward Charles Vanhoutte is suspended.
Referee
Ondřej Berka (Czech Republic)
Matches – 11 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellows/Reds shown (including second yellows) – 50;
Average yellows per match – 4.6;
Straight reds shown – 0;
Fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 18%.
Ludogorets Razgrad vs Nice: Match Prediction
This is a meeting between opponents who are outside the top 24 before the final round. The visitors have lost all chances of finishing in the qualification zone, while the hosts can still qualify for the play-offs. They only need to beat Nice in this match and hope that 10 points will be enough to finish among the top 24. We are confident that the home side's tournament motivation and the visitors' lack of it will lead to a Ludogorets Razgrad victory.
The Bulgarians do not have especially strong home statistics in this competition. Nevertheless, note that in their last 4 home Europa League matches the club recorded 2 wins and 1 draw, losing only to a strong Betis. During that stretch Ludogorets Razgrad scored at least two goals in three games. The French away form speaks for itself – 13 consecutive defeats in this tournament. Moreover, Nice failed to score more than one goal in each of their last 8 away Europa League games. It is also worth adding that midfielder Petar Stanić leads the Europa League 2025/26 top scorers list with 6 goals.
Prediction: Ludogorets Razgrad to win
* The starting lineup for each team is taken from their previous match in this competition.
