Nice vs Lille

The 2023/24 Ligue 1 season kicks off at the Allianz Riviera as Nice and Lille lock horns in a handsomely-looking opening match-up.

Despite steading the ship after Lucien Favre’s underwhelming managerial stint, caretaker boss Didier Digard failed to earn a permanent contract following a sub-par 9th-place finish. An ominously-looking run of only four wins across 13 league matches at the tail-end of last season (D5, L4) compelled ‘Les Aiglons’ to perform another managerial change, with Francesco Farioli taking over this summer. Farioli’s touchline debut in Ligue 1 could be a resounding success as his men have emerged victorious in three of their last four meetings with Lille (L1). However, Farioli would be wise to avoid high expectations after overseeing just one win in five pre-season friendlies (D1, L3). Worryingly, his men conceded multiple goals in all three defeats in that run, not to mention failed to score more than once in all five warm-up games.

On the other hand, Paulo Fonseca’s first season in charge of Lille didn’t go according to plan, as ‘Les Dogues’ missed out on a top-three finish for the second campaign in a row. Still, a fifth-place finish earned Lille a place in the Europa Conference League qualification playoffs. But after starting their pre-season with three consecutive wins, they’ve gone winless in the last two (D1, L1). High scoring was a common theme during Lille’s pre-season, with four of their five exhibition contests seeing over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet. Lille wouldn’t mind a less attractive affair if it helps them improve their woeful 11-game Ligue 1 run away to Nice (W1, D5, L5).