Lens will host Nice in one of the more exciting fixtures of the 6th round in Ligue 1. Both teams are in decent form and compete for a place in the Top 4, but there are notable differences in their recent performances and statistics.
Lens are positioned 4th in with 9 points from five matches, while Nice sit 7th with 7 points. However, the Eaglets have struggled a bit with away form, losing two of their three away matches in the league.
The hosts traditionally win the majority of their points through home games but Nice have been one of their toughest rivals in recent years. There will be a lot to consider after the visiting side obliterated St Etienne with 8:0 in the previous round.
Lens' main strength appears to be their defence. The team managed to score more than one goal only once in five games in the league. Alternatively, they only conceded two, against Monaco and Rennes. Their defence is their trump card but Nice are the 3rd highest-scoring side thus far.
Overall, this will be a tightly contested match and there are reasons to back either side. But let's look at what bookmakers think first.
How the bookies view it: Expected home advantage
Nice's recent away problems certainly influenced the odds as Lens are a considerable betting favourite. Betano give them 21/20 to win on Saturday, while you can back the visitors at 27/10. Lastly, the draw is priced at 22/9.
Recent head to head: Lens' kryptonite
Although it is arguable that Lens had more successful recent campaigns, Nice have had the upper hand in the majority of the H2Hs. The Eaglets won the last three matches while Lens last won in 2022.
Players to watch: New signings to shine
We would like to turn your attention towards two players, one from each side. M'Bala Nzola made his Ligue 1 debut for Lens as a sub last week and scored the equalizer against Rennes. We expect him to make his debut in the starting line-up this time.
As for Nice, watch out for Youssoufa Moukoko. He played 62 minutes last week against St Etienne and scored a brace for the whopping 8:0 win. He will be back in the starting line-up on Saturday.
Probable line-ups
Lens: Samba, Khusanov, Medina, Gradit, Frankowski, Diouf, Thomasson, Jhoanner Chaves, Zaroury, Sotoca, Nzola
Nice: Bulka, Ndayishimiye, Dante, Bombito, Clauss, Ndombele, Rosario, Bard, Bouanani, Moukoko, Guessand
Anything else catch the eye?
Only one of the last five H2Hs ended with goals on both ends. Nevertheless, we see this as a potential BTTS as Nice have had some extraordinary scorelines since the start.
Of course, Lans are not St Etienne and the Eaglets will have a harder time finding the net. But with 14 goals in five rounds, this is their best season start in almost 50 years. Moreover, they won the last two games they played at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
This French Ligue 1 match between Lens and Nice will be played on Sep 28, 2024 and kick off at 16:00. Check below for our tipsters best Lens vs Nice prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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