This past summer, Nice underwent a significant transformation, strengthening the team with players for both the defensive and attacking lines. Despite this, the start of the season hasn’t been the most productive. In four rounds, they have won once, drawn once, and suffered two defeats. They have scored six goals and conceded the same amount. As a result, they’re currently not even in the top 10 (12th place). This is clearly not the result the club’s management was hoping for at the beginning of the season. Fortunately, it’s only the start of the domestic league, and there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
Last season, the “Eaglets” finished in the top 5 and will play their first Europa League match next week. It will be held at their home stadium, so the match in the French Championship will serve as a kind of warm-up. This season, they’ll have to compete on two fronts, which is very demanding. Therefore, Francesco Farioli will need to carefully consider squad rotation to maintain the quality of play in both the domestic league and European competitions. It’s worth noting that the head coach only took charge in June and has yet to fully prove himself. If the team continues to perform as they have at the start of the Ligue 1 season, it’s unlikely he will remain in the managerial position for long.
Saint-Étienne achieved a sensational victory over Lille (1-0) in the last round, breaking a three-match losing streak and rising from the bottom of the league table. Thanks to this win, the “Greens” left the relegation zone and are now in the play-off zone, having accumulated three points. They are only outside a safe position due to additional criteria. Last season, the “Saints” played in Ligue 2, and to avoid relegation again in the 2024/25 French championship, they need to improve their performance urgently.
Looking at the statistics from the fourth-round match, it’s evident that the guests of the upcoming match had only 29% possession, took 10 shots on goal compared to 17 from their opponent, and earned two corners against seven. Based on these metrics, they should have faced defeat, but after scoring a quick goal in the sixth minute, the team parked the “bus” in front of their goal, and it worked.
The team has serious problems with their attacking line, as Saint-Étienne has managed to score only once in four matches. The goal came from midfielder Mathieu Cafaro. However, the club has been conceding a lot. In the season so far, they have already let in seven goals, which is not the worst record in Ligue 1.
Our prediction is an Asian handicap (-1.5) for Nice with odds of 2.54.
Place a bet on the line of 1xBet with odds of 2.54.
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