The match of the 17th round of the Ligue 1 between Nice and Strasbourg will take place on 3 january at Allianz Riviera. Nice vs Strasbourg: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Nice
Nice has the worst form among all opponents in the league. The home side starts the new year on a six-match losing run with a goal difference of 3:14. Because of these figures the team has dropped to 13th place in the standings and is only 5 points clear of the trio of relegation candidates. It is also worth noting that only Metz, with 37 goals conceded, lets in more goals in the Ligue 1 than Nice (29). Unsurprisingly, due to these results the club's management decided on a radical measure and dismissed Frank Essa.
- The team did not lose in 8 of the previous 11 home league matches – 7 wins and 1 draw.
- Nice did not concede more than 1 goal in 9 of the last 11 home Ligue 1 games.
- The club managed only one win in the second half in the previous 12 league matches (2 draws and 9 defeats).
Potential Nice Lineup (4-3-3)*
Nice: Yevann Diouf – Antoine Mendy, Jonathan Clauss, Melvin Bard, Kojo Oppong – Hicham Boudaoui, Charles Vanhoutte, Morgan Sanson – Isak Jansson, Sofiane Diop, Mohammed-Ali Cho.
Since the start of the year the team has been led by head coach Claude Puel. For the African Cup of Nations, striker Terem Moffi and goalkeeper Yevann Diouf, midfielder Hicham Boudaoui and defenders Ali Abdi and Antoine Mendy have joined their national teams. Midfielders Tom Lusché and Charles Vanhoutte are sidelined due to suspensions. The club's injured list includes defenders Mohamed Abdelmonem and Youssouf Ndayishimiye, as well as defender Moise Bombito.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg, coached by Liam Rosenior, are not faring any better. The club has gone four league matches without a win, during which they first suffered three consecutive defeats and only in the last round managed to halt that losing streak. At home Strasbourg hosted Lorient but were limited to a goalless draw. It is important to note that in these four matches the team scored only one goal. As a result, the team has dropped to 7th place and is already 9 points behind the Champions League places.
- In the previous 9 Ligue 1 games the team has recorded just 2 wins (2 draws and 5 defeats).
- Strasbourg are without a win in 5 away league matches (1 draw and 4 defeats).
- The club has conceded at least two goals in 5 of the last 7 away Ligue 1 matches.
Potential Strasbourg Lineup (3-4-2-1)*
Strasbourg: Mike Penders – Gela Doue, Ismaël Doukouré, Mamadou Sarr – Valentin Barco, Sam Amo-Ameyaw, Diego Moreira, Samir El-Murabet – Sebastian Nanasi, Julio Enciso – Joaquin Panichelli.
Defenders Mamadou Sarr and Gela Doue have gone to the African Cup of Nations. Midfielder Maxi Oyedele and defender Saidy Sow, as well as forward Emmanuel Emegha, are sidelined with injuries.
Referee
Clément Turpin (France)
Matches – 7 (the Ligue 1, 2025/26);
Yellow/Red Cards Shown (including second yellow) – 20;
Average Yellow Cards Per Match – 2.9;
Red Cards Shown – 2;
Fouls Per Match – 23;
Penalties – 29%.
Nice vs Strasbourg: Match Prediction
Both teams desperately need a win. The winless runs in the league have clearly gone on too long, which has led to the loss of not only several positions but also European chances, albeit temporarily. Therefore we expect the clubs to try to show themselves as best as possible in attack, which should make it possible to take three points. In addition, players at Nice have something to prove to the new head coach.
We think the opponents will be able to score at least three goals between them. Problems with finishing for Strasbourg began in November, while before that the team had an average scoring rate of around two goals per match in the Ligue 1. At the same time, about 3.4 goals are scored on average in the team's away matches in the current campaign. Nice are not as prolific in attack, but it should be noted that an average of 2.8 goals are scored in their home Ligue 1 games.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
* For each team the starting lineup shown is from their previous match in this competition.
