Nice vs Frejus Predictions

• Nice have lost just two of their last eight games.
• The hosts have won four of their last five matches at the Allianz Riviera with 13 goals scored in that time.
• The visitors are winless in their last six matches.
• Nice have ten goals in their last three home league games while Étoile have conceded three goals in two of their last five away days.

Vieira hopeful of a good start to 2020

Nice have won this competition three times in the club’s history but the most recent triumph was in 1997 so there is definitely a fever in the city to get back on top of this tournament. They have a relatively easy opponent for their first match and have some good form to take into this game. 

Nice closed out 2019 in steady fashion with four wins and two draws in their final eight games. Le Gym scored seven goals in their final three matches with two dominant wins over Toulouse (3-0) and Metz (4-1). They have recently been getting into a good rhythm of scoring a lot at home with four wins and a draw in their last five at the Allianz Riviera and 13 goals along the way. They’ve conceded just three times in this period and will be looking to take this form into 2020. 

Nice have recently had an awful record in this competition with them exiting at the ninth round (the first stage that Ligue 1 teams enter) in each of the last five years. They have never really had an easy first round with many Ligue 1 teams like Toulouse and Rennes knocking them out in recent years but they finally have a great opportunity to progress here against Étoile.

Minnows full of hope but lacking form

The visitors have had an impressive run in the competition already with their 2-1 win over Ligue 2 side Grenoble being quite the upset. Étoile play in the fourth tier of France so a win of this calibre is quite the achievement but their form in their own division has slightly wavered as of late which could hold them back. They have won just one of their last six league games with their victory over third bottom Marseille Endoume being the only thing for fans to cheer about in recent weeks. 

Étoile’s form gets even worse when you look at their away results as they are winless in their last six games on the road with four defeats and two draws making it a pretty barren run. They’ve conceded eleven goals and scored just five in return so it could be a case of duck and cover as the Ligue 1 outfit come to town. 

A whitewash for the Ligue 1 outfit?

With Étoile struggling in their own division, we don’t see them pulling off an incredible win here, especially considering Nice’s impressive form going into this game. The hosts have been very good at the Allianz Riviera and while they haven’t had a great time in this competition over the last few years, they should be able to get past the fourth-tier minnows given their quality of player, form and home advantage. Nice have ten goals in their last three home league games and with Étoile conceding three goals in two of their last five away days, we’re backing the home side to score over 2.5 goals in a 3-0 win.