The Matchday 21 clash in Ligue 1 between Nice and Lens will take place on February 8 at the Allianz Riviera Stadium. Nice vs. Lens: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Nice
In the previous round, the team shared points away against Toulouse (1-1). Franck Haise's side has been performing well, avoiding defeat in 6 of their last 7 league matches (4 wins, 2 draws). Even in their only loss during this period, Nice managed to score, extending their scoring streak in Ligue 1 to 14 matches. In the standings, the club has risen to fourth place.
- Both teams scored in 9 of Nice's last 10 league matches.
- The team is unbeaten in their last 9 home Ligue 1 games (6 wins, 3 draws).
- In their last 6 home games in this tournament, the club has scored at least two goals.
Predicted lineup for Nice (3-4-3)
Marcin Bulka – Melvin Bard, Dante, Youssouf Ndayishimiye – Ali Abdi, Hicham Boudaoui, Baptiste Santamaria, Jonathan Clauss – Mohamed-Ali Cho, Evann Guessand, Gaetan Laborde.
Lens
William Still's side is the closest challenger to Nice in the standings, trailing by just one point. The team has climbed into the European competition zone thanks to two consecutive victories: against Angers (1-0) and Montpellier (2-0). Notably, the club has kept a clean sheet in 9 matches this season, with only 18 goals conceded, the best defensive record in the tournament.
Injuries have sidelined defenders Ruben Aguilar, Joanner Chavez, and forwards Labo Lascari and Martin Satriano.
- Lens has scored first in 6 of their last 8 Ligue 1 matches.
- The team is unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 away league games (5 wins, 5 draws).
- The club has not conceded more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 away matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Lens (5-3-2)
Mathew Ryan – Deiver Machado, Facundo Medina, Malang Sarr, Jonathan Gradit, Przemyslaw Frankowski – Neil El Aynaoui, Adrien Thomasson, Andy Diouf – Gael Kakuta, M'Bala Nzola.
Referee
Romain Lissorgue (France)
Matches – 8 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 32;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 28;
Penalties – 25%.
Nice vs. Lens: Match Prediction
The most reliable defense in the tournament faces a tough challenge. Nice has no issues in attack, boasting the third-best offense in the league this season. Although Lens managed to hold off their opponents' attack in the first-round home match, replicating that performance away will be much more difficult.
Franck Haise's team has an ongoing scoring streak in the league, and at home, Nice has scored in 14 consecutive matches in this tournament. Moreover, in their last 6 home games, the team has scored at least twice. At the Allianz Riviera, the hosts have already netted 23 goals, with only PSG scoring more at home (27).
William Still's side concedes on the road, albeit not excessively, but regularly: in 10 of their last 14 Ligue 1 matches. Matches against Nice have also been challenging for the club: in the last five league encounters, Lens has conceded eight goals. My prediction: Nice Individual Total Over 1
