BETTING GUIDE: Nice Vs Olympique Marseille, match preview, team news and betting tip

Nice will look to regain stability on home soil as they welcome high-flying Marseille to the Allianz Riviera in a crucial Ligue 1 encounter that opens matchday 13.

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With the campaign edging toward its midpoint, both teams arrive with contrasting momentum and very different ambitions.

Marseille enter the weekend knowing that a victory would temporarily take them to the summit of the Ligue 1 standings, sitting just two points behind league leaders PSG, while Nice find themselves drifting down the table and desperate to halt a worrying slump.

From the outset, the narrative mirrors a clash between a side searching for answers and another pushing aggressively toward the top.

Coming into this fixture, Nice occupy ninth place after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Metz before the international break, a result that capped a run of three consecutive losses in all competitions.

Franck Haise has watched his team start matches brightly only to fade as the minutes progress, surrendering leads in both of their last two domestic outings.

Despite these setbacks, Nice will draw encouragement from their home form, where they have been significantly stronger.

They have won their last two home league fixtures and remain unbeaten in five straight Ligue 1 matches at the Allianz Riviera this season.

Extending the sample further back to the previous campaign, the Riviera club have claimed seven victories in their last nine home games, losing only once during that period.

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Haise, however, is facing an unwanted milestone: his teams have never lost three successive Ligue 1 matches under his management, and another defeat on Friday would mark the first time since April 2023 that Nice have suffered such a run.

Encouragingly for the hosts, they have beaten Marseille in each of their last two home meetings without conceding, a trend they will hope to extend against a much-improved opponent.

For Marseille, the international break arguably arrived at the wrong moment, as Roberto De Zerbi’s side had just begun gathering strong momentum.

A commanding 3-0 victory over Brest before the pause consolidated their status as the most prolific attack in the division, with 28 goals scored in 12 matches and 13 of those arriving in the last five Ligue 1 games alone.

De Zerbi has instilled confidence, fluidity and structure in equal measure, and although Marseille’s impressive tally has come largely at home - only six of those goals have been scored away - the team have still won three of their last four league matches on the road, conceding once or fewer in all three victories.

Their consistency has been reflected in the standings: with 25 points after 12 matches.

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Defensively, they have also tightened up lately, keeping clean sheets in every league match played in November, and heading into this clash on a three-game unbeaten run.

The historical context, however, tempers their confidence: Marseille have taken maximum points in just one of their last six visits to Nice and have struggled to assert dominance in this region of France despite their overall superior head-to-head record.

Team news for both sides presents challenges. Nice remain without long-term absentees Youssouf Ndayishimiye and Mohamed Abdelmonem due to cruciate ligament injuries, while influential veteran Dante is sidelined with a knee problem and Moise Bombito is also unavailable with a lower-leg issue.

Mohamed-Ali Cho, who gave Nice the lead against Metz with his first goal of the season, is expected to lead the line again but will need greater support from the midfield.

Haise may look toward increased stability and energy in the central areas, especially given Marseille’s midfield dominance in recent weeks.

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For Marseille, defensive problems continue to linger. Ruben Blanco and Bilal Nadir are nearing returns but remain doubtful, while Amine Gouiri, Nayef Aguerd and Hamed Traore face late fitness tests.

Ulisses Garcia is eligible to return from suspension, offering a boost at left-back.

Still, De Zerbi can count on a potent attacking trio: Angel Gomes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mason Greenwood, the latter of whom scored his eighth league goal of the campaign against Brest and remains just one behind Strasbourg’s Panichelli in the scoring charts.

The attacking rhythm Marseille have found in recent weeks has compensated for occasional lapses at the back, yet a trip to a ground where they have historically struggled adds a layer of unpredictability.

The tactical and statistical landscape suggests a delicately poised contest.

Nice have scored first in five of their six home league games this season and will likely aim to set the tone early once again.

However, they have also conceded in seven of their last ten outings, and defensive fragility remains a concern.

Marseille, on their part, have trailed at halftime in only one league match this season, illustrating their strong starts, while their recent clean-sheet record signals improved discipline.

Yet only two of their six away matches have featured both teams scoring, a trend that contrasts sharply with Nice’s home profile, where goals at both ends have been more frequent.

Key Pointers

Both teams scored in eight of Nice’s last 10 outings.

Nice failed to score once in their last five matches.

Marseille failed to score in one of their last 10 games.

In four of Marseille’s last six games, both teams scored.

Nice have kept two clean sheets in their eight home games.

Historically tight, tactically intriguing and significant for both sides’ ambitions, this matchup carries all the markers of a competitive Ligue 1 clash.

Marseille’s attacking firepower and improved consistency give them a slight edge, but Nice’s robust home form and strong record against OM in recent Riviera meetings cannot be ignored.

With both teams boasting players capable of individual moments of influence and both defences showing occasional inconsistencies, chances should arrive for either side.

Prediction: Both Teams to Score – Yes.

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