The Matchday 34 clash in Ligue 1 between Nice and Brest will take place on May 17 at the Allianz Riviera Stadium. Nice vs. Brest: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Nice
The club's three-match winning streak in the French championship was halted with a 0-2 defeat to Rennes in the previous round. Despite the loss, Nice remains in 4th place in the Ligue 1 standings but has lost the chance to fight for a direct spot in the Champions League, trailing 3rd place by 4 points. However, a win in the upcoming match offers a great opportunity to secure 4th place, granting them the right to participate in the qualification for Europe's most prestigious club tournament. It is noteworthy that Nice's scoring streak in the championship, which lasted 7 matches, was also broken against Rennes. Additionally, the club has performed better at home in the current Ligue 1 season, earning 34 points compared to 23 away.
- Both teams scored in 6 of the last 8 matches in Ligue 1.
- The club did not score more than 2 goals in 8 of the last 9 French championship matches.
- Nice won 8 of their last 11 home matches in this tournament (1 draw, 2 losses).
Predicted lineup for Nice (3-5-2)
Marcin Bulka – Melvin Bard, Moise Bombito, Antoine Mendy – Ali Abdi, Morgan Sanson, Pablo Rosario, Jonathan Clauss, Hicham Boudaoui – Badredine Bouanani, Evann Guessand.
Midfielder Pablo Rosario is unavailable due to yellow card accumulation.
Brest
The Bretons secured back-to-back clean-sheet victories in the championship, defeating Montpellier (1-0) and Lille (2-0), both at home. However, even these wins will not help Brest in the battle for European competition spots. Ahead of the final match of the championship, the team is in 8th place in the standings, 7 points behind 6th place. The Bretons can no longer rise above 8th place, nor fall below 9th. Despite two consecutive clean-sheet victories, the club still has a negative goal difference in the current Ligue 1 season – 52:53. Additionally, the team has struggled in away matches this season, failing to win in 11 of 16 matches (2 draws, 9 losses).
- The Bretons have a scoring streak of 7 matches in the elite French division.
- The team has not lost in 7 of the last 9 Ligue 1 matches (5 wins, 2 draws).
- Brest scored first in 6 of the last 8 away matches in the championship.
Predicted lineup for Brest (4-3-3)
Marco Bizot – Massadio Haidara, Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Edimilson Fernandes, Kenny Lala – Hugo Magnetti, Kamory Doumbia, Mahdi Camara – Mathias Pereira Lage, Ludovic Ajorque, Romain Del Castillo.
Referee
Hakim Ben El Hadj (France)
Matches – 16 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 63;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 19%
Nice vs. Brest: Match Prediction
The club from the Côte d'Azur suffered a painful defeat to Rennes in the last round, which cost them the chance to fight for a top-three finish this season. However, the match was evenly contested, with the hosts proving slightly luckier. I do not think Nice will falter in front of goal for a second consecutive Ligue 1 match. Moreover, the upcoming game will be played with the support of their home fans, where they have performed excellently this season. Nice has won 8 of their last 11 home matches in the tournament.
Motivation is also a factor to consider, as the hosts continue to battle for European qualification spots, aiming for 4th place, which offers a chance to play in the Champions League qualifiers. A victory in the upcoming match would almost guarantee them retaining their current position, as they have a goal difference advantage over their competitors – Lille and Strasbourg – in the current Ligue 1 season. The visitors, on the other hand, have no tournament motivation left and have struggled in away matches this season, as mentioned above. Additionally, Brest has lost to Nice in 3 of the last 4 away head-to-head meetings in Ligue 1 (1 draw). Brest also lost to their upcoming opponent in the first round of the current championship, 0-1.
Therefore, my prediction is Nice to Win.
