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Nice entertain Montpellier at Allianz Riviera in Ligue 1 action on Sunday as they look to maintain their top-four spot in the league standings.
The home team have the best defensive record in the French top-flight which has helped them climb up to second place in the league table, though PSG have an eight-point lead over them at the moment. Thanks to Andy Delort's brace, Nice came back from behind to record a 2-1 away win against Angers last Sunday.
Montpellier have enjoyed a decent campaign so far with four wins, losses and draws apiece. They recorded a comfortable 2-0 win over Nantes last week.
Nice vs Montpellier Head-to-Head
The two southern France rivals have met each other 47 times across all competitions. The visiting side currently hold the upper hand in this fixture with 21 wins while the hosts have been victorious on 15 occasions.
The spoils have been shared 11 times but only one match in the last 12 games has ended in a draw. They last squared off in Ligue 1 action last season. Two games in the 2020-21 campaign ended in 3-1 home wins for each side, with Nice being the winning side in the game at Sunday's venue in April.
Nice form guide (Ligue 1): W-D-W-L-W
Montpellier form guide (Ligue 1): W-L-W-D-L
Nice vs Montpellier Team News
Nice
Kasper Dolberg has withdrawn from the squad due to personal reasons and has not been selected by Denmark for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Justin Kluivert is out with a hamstring injury, Evann Guessand suffered a sprained ankle and Calvin Stengs remains sidelined with a muscle problem. Meanwhile, Robson Bambu is yet to feature this term on account of an ankle injury.
Injuries: Evann Guessand, Calvin Stengs, Robson Bambu, Justin Kluivert
Doubtful: None
Suspension: None
Unavailable: Kasper Dolberg
Montpellier
Matheus Thuler and Pedro Mendes are sidelined with thigh and ACL injuries respectively, though Mendes has made a significant recovery and could be back in the fold after the international break.
Thibault Tamas is a long-term absentee after rupturing his cruciate ligament and might not feature for the remainder of the campaign. Téji Savanier was handed a one-game suspension by LFP's Disciplinary Committee last week and will miss the trip to Nice.
Injuries: Thuler, Thibault Tamas, Pedro Mendes
Doubtful: None
Suspension: Téji Savanier
Nice vs Montpellier Predicted XI
Nice predicted XI (4-4-2): Walter Benitez; Melvin Bard, Jean-Clair Todibo, Dante, Youcef Atal; Hassane Kamara, Mario Lemina, Pablo Rosario, Lucas Da Cunha; Andy Delort, Amine Gouiri
Montpellier Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Jonas Omlin; Nicolas Cozza, Mamadou Sakho, Maxime Esteve, Arnaud Souquet; Joris Chotard, Leo Leroy; Stephy Mavididi, Nicholas Gioacchini, Florent Mollet; Valere Germain
Nice vs Montpellier Prediction
Nice have the best defensive record in the league but six of their nine goals have come in home fixtures. Montpellier are winless in their travels this term and might struggle in this encounter.
We predict a win and a clean sheet for Les Aiglons.
Prediction: Nice 2-0 Montpellier
