Nice – Saint-Etienne, Picks and Tips
In his first year as Nice coach, Galtier missed out on his first trophy. OGC Nice were favourites in the final against Nantes, which was played in Paris at the Stade de France. It was 0-0 at half-time after a first half in which the balance prevailed. Except that immediately after the return from the dressing room, Nice were penalised with a penalty kick. Which goalkeeper Bulka couldn't save. Nice didn't have the inspiration to find the way to the goal until the final whistle and lost the French Cup. It's not just about the trophy, it's also about making the European Cups. So Nice must make up the lost points and enter the top five teams to represent France in European competitions. After 35 rounds, Nice is in sixth place with 60 points. Strasbourg have the same number of points, while Rennes have 62 points and are in 4th place. Nice and Rennes have one game in hand. A win over Saint-Etienne will move Nice up at least one place. The last two rounds have meant two narrow wins for Nice. A match against Troyes, 1-0 through Thuram's goal in the third minute of extra time, then the success at Bordeaux thanks to Delort's goal that came in the second half of the match. For Nice, after the Saint-Etienne game, there's the 'home' game against Lille, then the away game at Reims. These are, at least in theory, matches from which Saint-Etienne could take points.
Saint-Etienne are trembling until the last round to save themselves from relegation. The emotions may not go away even after the final game, if the "white-green" remain in the position they are now in, leading to the Ligue 1 play-off. Saint-Etienne are 18th with 31 points, four more than relegation-place Metz, but three less than Lorient, the first team above the line. With a win, Saint-Etienne would tie Lorient on points. The last two rounds for the 'green and whites' have seen two defeats. Against Rennes, Saint-Etienne lost 0-2, a result that followed that 1-4 home defeat to AS Monaco. Saint-Etienne's winner was scored by Khazri from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute to make it 0-2 to their opponents. For Saint-Etienne, after the Nice game, it's home to Reims and then the trip to Nantes in the final round.
Our recommendation tip for Nice – Saint-Etienne: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.95