Preview: Nice vs. Angers - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts are yet to win on home soil so far this season, while the visitors are winless in their last 13 top-flight away matches.

Match preview

Nice have endured a below-par start to the new campaign so far, winning two, drawing two and losing three of their opening seven Ligue 1 fixtures.

Les Aiglons have also played out two 1-1 draws in their first two Europa Conference League group-stage matches, including Thursday night's encounter away in Belgrade against Partizan.

After making 13 signings over the summer and spending around £60m, Lucien Favre is yet to see continuity from his side which will need to change if they wish to challenge on all front this term.

Nice have lost three of their last four Ligue 1 home matches, but their recent record against Angers bodes well heading into Sunday's contest.

Les Aiglons have won their last four top-flight games against Angers by an aggregate score of 9-1 and they have also lost just one of their last 14 home meetings against them, so Favre and co should be confident of claiming maximum points this weekend.

After failing to win any of their opening six Ligue 1 matches, including four successive defeats in which they conceded 15 goals, Angers claimed maximum points for the first time this season when they beat Montpellier 2-1 last weekend.

Adrien Hunou cancelled out an opening strike from Arnaud Nordin, before Sofiane Boufal completed the turnaround with a converted penalty in the 69th minute, his third successive goal on home soil.

That victory will have eased the pressure on head coach Gerald Baticle, who will now be looking to claim successive league victories for the first time since his first two games in charge of the club back in August last year.

Since playing out a goalless draw at home to Nantes on the opening weekend, Angers have conceded a league-high 18 goals, three times as many compared with this stage of last season.

The Black and Whites have also failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last six meetings with Nice, so improvements in defence are required if they are to come away with a positive result on Sunday.

Nice Ligue 1 form:

Nice form (all competitions):

Angers Ligue 1 form:

Team News

Nice will be without Andy Delort, Aaron Ramsey and Morgan Schneiderlin due to injury, but Pablo Rosario is available after serving a one-match suspension last week and the midfielder could return to the starting lineup ahead of Mario Lemina.

Left-back Joe Bryan, who scored against Partizan in midweek, is expected to be replaced by Melvin Bard, joining 38-year-old centre-back Dante - the oldest player in Ligue 1 - in the back four.

Winger Sofiane Diop will be hoping to force his way into the first XI ahead of either Rares Ilie or Hicham Boudaoui, while Arsenal loanee Nicolas Pepe is set to continue in behind central striker Gaetan Laborde.

As for Angers, Halid Sabanovic and Ulrick Eneme-Ella are both ruled out with injuries, while Ibrahim Amadou is doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

Number one goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni was dropped last weekend and replaced by Yahia Fofana, who is expected to continue between the sticks on Saturday.

Sofiane Boufal, who has scored three goals in his last five games, is set to continue on the left flank, joining Azzedine Ounahi and Abdallah Sima in attack.

Nice possible starting lineup:

Schmiechel; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Rosario, Thuram; Boudaoui, Pepe, Diop; Laborde

Angers possible starting lineup:

Fofana; Valery, Houtondji, Blazic, Doumbia; Bentaleb, Mendy; Ounahi, Hunou, Boufal; Sima

We say: Nice 2-1 Angers

A closely-fought contest between two underperforming sides is set to take place at the Allianz Riviera, but Nice will be regarded as the favourites to claim maximum points.

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