Ligue 1 Predictions | Round 25: Nice host OL in race for Europe | OneFootball

Ligue 1 Predictions, Round 25

GFFN editor-in-chief  Luke Entwistle and GFFN’s  Raphaël Jucobin face off in our Ligue 1 predictions competition. It’s three points for a correct score, two points for a correct score difference, and one point for a correct result. Who will come out on top at the end of the season?

SCORES

Raphaël: 131

Luke: 158

Game of the week: OGC Nice v Olympique Lyonnais, Sunday 19:45 (UK)

Bar PSG, Nice are clearly the most in-form team in France – the stats prove that. Franck Haise’s side have won their last four games in Ligue 1 and they have lost just one game in their last 11 in the league. They managed to get the job done without playing particularly well against Saint-Étienne, a tell-tale sign of a strong team and one that is now the favourite for the final place on the podium. There is plenty of experience and nouse in this side and the arrival of Baptiste Santamaria in the winter has brought a strong balance to the midfield. This team is well-rounded. Only Marseille and PSG have scored more, whilst only PSG, Lille, and Toulouse have conceded fewer. Efficient in both boxes, they approach most games as favourites.

That is no different as they prepare to host Lyon. OL just about got over the line against Brest thanks to a brace from Alexandre Lacazette. But it did come at a cost. Their manager, Paulo Fonseca, was sent off for an attempted headbutt on the referee. He risks a seven-month ban from the touchline and it is the type of action that can throw a season off track and change a dynamic. He will certainly be in the stands for this game and perhaps for the rest of the season. There are some interesting match-ups and the battle in the middle of the midfield will be a key one but there is a feeling that, individually and collectively, Nice are superior, as the table currently reflects.

Raphaël’s full predictions

Luke’s full predictions

GFFN | Luke Entwistle