Nice vs Nantes Preview: Team News & Prediction

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It has been a poor start to the campaign for Nice, as they welcome a Nantes side to the Allianz Riviera down on the south coast this weekend, looking to reignite something.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – beIN Sports
How to watch online: UK – Ligue 1 pass / US – beIN Sports Connect
Nice preview: Off-field neglect
It has been made clear that ownership group INEOS have more of a focus on Manchester United rather than Nice, and that could have a major impact on the southerners, and it has been a very poor start to the campaign.
Having been beaten 4-0 on aggregate by Benfica on the playoffs in the UEFA Champions League, Nice have started their 2025/26 Ligue 1 season with a win and two defeats, most recently suffering a 3-1 loss to Stade Oceane.
Nantes preview: Expected to struggle
Nantes were expected to struggle this season and they parted company with manager Antoine Kombouare, who was replaced by Luis Castro, and they, like last season, are once again set to be battling against the bottom three and the danger zone.
The Canaries most recently defeated Auxerre by a goal to nil at Stade de la Beaujoire in Brittany the other week, courtesy of an early strike scored by Mostafa Mohamed, after narrow defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and then Strasbourg.
Nice team news: Defensive absentees
Nice have a few key defensive injury absentees for this weekend, such as Mohamed Abdelmonem and Youssouf Ndayishimiye, whilst Mohamed-Ali Cho is also a doubt.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Diouf; Mendy, Juma Bah, Peprah Oppong; Louchet, Boudaoui, Abdul Samed, Bard; Jansson, Boga; Moffi
Unavailable: Abdelmonem (Injured), Ndayishimiye (Injured)
Questionable: Cho (Injured)
Nantes team news: A few doubts
Nantes head to Nice with a few injury doubts for this one as Fabien Centonze is potentially sidelined alongside attacking duo Mayckel Lahdo and Bahereba Guirassy.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Lopes; Amian, Awaziem, Tati, Cozza; Hong, Coquelin, Lepenant; Benhattab, Mostafa Mohamed, Abline
Unavailable:
Questionable: Centonze (Injured), Lahdo (Injured), Guirassy (Injured)
Nice vs Nantes prediction
Nice have been neglected off the pitch with by their ownership group and that has led to Lucien Faivre being dealt with a very underwhelming squad, and one that will likely drift away from the upper echelons of Ligue 1. They face a Nantes side that began with reasonable performances against strong sides and then pounced on a weaker team to get off the mark, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them topple Nice this weekend.
Nice vs Nantes tip: Double chance – Nantes to win or draw