Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Ligue 1 match.
This is expected to be one of the most competitive and important matches of the Ligue 1 round. Nice have finally emerged from their slump and climbed into the top half of the table. The gap to fifth-placed Lille is exactly one win.
OGC Nice
Even a victory, however, wouldn’t allow the southerners to overtake Lille, who boast a much stronger goal difference (+11 vs –1). Nice’s defence was far too relaxed in August and September, as they lost 3:1 to Le Havre and 4:1 to Stade Brestois, but those defeats came away from home. At the Allianz Riviera, the team have been much more disciplined defensively, conceding twice in only three of seven matches in all competitions, and losing just two.
Lille
Lille’s big goal cushion largely comes from their 7:1 demolition of Lorient in Round 3, and impressively, it was an away victory. Other than that, their wins have mostly been narrow, and their only defeat came in the derby against Lens (0:3). Since then, Lille have only once won by more than one goal, beating Nantes (2:0) two weeks ago.
OGC Nice vs Lille Prediction
Nice are on a four-match unbeaten run — two draws followed by two wins — which makes the double chance on the hosts appealing. That’s reinforced by the fact that Nice haven’t lost to Lille in their last three home meetings.
