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The 2023-24 Ligue 1 season will get underway this Friday night when Nice and Lille face off in the curtain-raiser at the Allianz Riviera Stadium.
Nice endured a disappointing 2022-23 season where they finished ninth in the Ligue 1 table. They underwent a managerial change halfway through the campaign with Didier Digard taking over as caretaker manager from Lucien Favre, who was sacked in January 2023.
Francesco Farioli was appointed the new manager of the club in June and he will lead Nice into battle on Friday night. The 34-year-old has the massive task of taking Nice back to European berths.
It remains to be seen whether he has adequate experience in his tank to achieve his objectives for the season. After all, Farioli has managed only two teams before, namely Fatih Karagumruk and Alanyaspor.
Pre-season wasn't all too encouraging for Nice, picking up just one win in the friendlies, a 1-0 victory over Montpellier. They suffered losses against Fiorentina, Braga and Lausanne.
Meanwhile, their Friday opponents Lille signed off on the 2022-23 season after locking in UEFA Europa League qualification. They finished fifth in the Ligue 1 table last term and were in good form towards the end of the campaign, winning seven and losing just two of their last 14 league games.
Paulo Fonseca guided his men to three successive wins to kickstart their pre-season last month. They subsequently lost 2-1 to Empoli before settling for a goalless stalemate with Premier League side Brentford in their final pre-season game.
Nice vs Lille Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The 2023-24 campaign marks the 52nd season that Lille and Nice have both featured together in Ligue 1. This is, however, the first time that they will clash on matchday one.
- Lille have lost three of their last four Ligue 1 matches against Nice. That's as many as they had lost in their previous 12 against them.
- Nice have won five of their last 10 Ligue 1 home games against Lille.
- Nice have registered wins in four of their last six Ligue 1 matches. Before that run, they had failed to win in their previous seven.
- Lille have not lost on matchday one in their last six Ligue 1 campaigns.
Nice vs Lille Prediction
Both teams have had to navigate a lot of changes in recent months. It's too early to expect either team to come out firing from the get-go. This one is expected to be a cagey affair and the spoils are likely to be shared at the end of 90 minutes.
Prediction: Nice 1-1 Lille
Nice vs Lille Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Game to have under 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Both teams to score - Yes
