Paris Saint-Germain and Nice, two undefeated teams in the current Ligue 1 campaign, will face off at the Parc des Princes on Friday night. This highly anticipated match will see Luis Enrique’s PSG take on Francesco Farioli’s Nice in the capital.
In their previous game before the international break, PSG showcased their dominance with an impressive 4-1 victory over Lyon.
Kylian Mbappe’s brace, Achraf Hakimi’s tap-in, and Marco Asensio’s finish secured an early lead for PSG, sealing the game before halftime.
Although Corentin Tolisso scored a consolation goal for Lyon, PSG’s victory was never in doubt.
Despite a slow start to the season with back-to-back draws against Lorient and Toulouse, PSG has shown signs of improvement with their recent goal-scoring spree against Lens and Lyon. With eight points from a possible 12, PSG currently sits in second place behind Monaco in the league table.
Nice, on the other hand, began their campaign steadily, securing three wins against Lille, Lorient, and Lyon before defeating Strasbourg.
Youcef Atal and Terem Moffi were instrumental in Nice’s victory over Strasbourg, with Atal opening the scoring and Moffi sealing the result with a well-executed chip.
Both teams have had success in recent encounters. PSG defeated Nice twice last season but suffered a Coupe de France defeat to them in January 2022. Nice has only lost five away games in Ligue 1 since the start of last season.
In terms of team news, PSG may have concerns over Kylian Mbappe’s fitness after he sat out France’s friendly against Germany due to a knee problem.
Other key players, including Marquinhos, Manuel Ugarte, and Keylor Navas, will need to re-acclimatize to French time zones after international duty.
Nice, on the other hand, might have to cope without regular left-back Melvin Bard and midfielder Khephren Thuram due to injuries.
Predicted Lineups:
Paris Saint-Germain:
- Donnarumma
- Hakimi
- Pereira
- Skriniar
- Hernandez
- Zaire-Emery
- Ruiz, Vitinha
- Dembele
- Ramos
- Barcola
Nice:
- Bulka
- Atal
- Todibo
- Dante
- Perraud
- Boudaoui
- Ndayishimiye
- Sanson
- Laborde
- Moffi
- Diop
Prediction:
With uncertainties surrounding Mbappe’s fitness and PSG potentially resting some international players ahead of upcoming fixtures, the match could be challenging for the champions.
However, Nice is known for putting up a fight on rival territory, and the presence of the speedy Terem Moffi could trouble PSG’s defense. Nevertheless, we expect PSG to secure a narrow 2-1 victory.
