The Matchday 25 clash in Ligue 1 between Nice and Lyon will take place on March 9 at the Allianz Riviera Stadium. Nice vs. Lyon: prediction, betting odds, and statistics.
Nice
In the previous round, the club defeated Saint-Etienne away (3-1), securing their fourth consecutive victory in the league. This is the team's longest winning streak in the current Ligue 1 season. In the standings, Franck Haise's side is in 3rd place, trailing Marseille, who are in second, by just 3 points. However, the Parisians, who top the table, are already 16 points ahead.
- The team has won their last 6 home games in the league.
- In 5 of the last 7 head-to-head meetings in Ligue 1 at Nice's ground, at least 3 goals were scored.
- In the last 8 home matches in the league, the club scored at least 2 goals.
Predicted lineup for Nice (3-4-2-1)
Marcin Bulka – Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Dante, Moise Bombito – Baptiste Santamaria, Jonathan Clauss, Melvin Bard, Pablo Rosario – Mohamed-Ali Cho, Evann Guessand – Gaetan Laborde.
Coach Franck Haise is suspended.
Lyon
In their last Ligue 1 match, the club defeated Brest at home (2-1), recovering from their loss to PSG in the 23rd round (2-3). In the standings, Paulo Fonseca's side is at the edge of the European competition zone, leading their closest rival by just 2 points. Notably, Lyon has been playing uncompromising football lately: in their last five league matches, the team has not drawn, securing three wins and suffering two defeats.
- In 5 of Lyon's last 6 away matches in Ligue 1, at least 3 goals were scored.
- Both teams scored in Lyon's last 5 away games in the league.
- Lyon has scored in their last 10 away matches in Ligue 1.
Predicted lineup for Lyon (4-2-3-1)
Lucas Perry – Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Moussa Niakate, Clinton Mata, Sael Kumbedi – Corentin Tolisso, Tanner Tessmann – Giorgi Mikautadze, Thiago Almada, Rayan Cherki – Alexandre Lacazette.
Coach Paulo Fonseca is suspended.
Referee
Benoit Bastien (France)
Matches – 12 (Ligue 1, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 57;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 58%.
Match Prediction: Nice vs. Lyon
Both teams are near the top of the standings, but in my opinion, Nice is in better form. In their last 6 league matches, the club has not lost, securing 5 wins during this stretch. Their home record is even more impressive: Nice has not lost in their last 11 home Ligue 1 matches, with 8 wins and 3 draws. Moreover, before the start of Matchday 25, the team is on a six-game winning streak at Allianz Riviera in the French championship.
Lyon, on the other hand, has been struggling away from home recently. In their last 5 away matches in Ligue 1, the team has only secured one victory – against Montpellier, who are at the bottom of the table. In the remaining four matches during this period, Lyon suffered three defeats and managed just one draw.
The head-to-head statistics also favor Nice. The team has not lost to Lyon in 5 of their last 6 home encounters in Ligue 1 (4 wins, 1 draw). It's also worth noting that Franck Haise's team had more than a week to prepare for the upcoming match, while Lyon had the additional burden of a Europa League away match against Romanian club FCSB on Thursday, meaning Nice's players should be significantly fresher than their opponents.
My prediction: Nice with a handicap (0)
