Ligue 1 | Gameweek 17

Jan 11, 2025 at 6pm UK

Stade Auguste-Delaune II

Reims vs Nice

Match preview

Reims ended 2024 with a 3-1 victory over seventh-tier side ASS Still Mutzig in the Coupe de France Round of 64 to progress to the next stage, but were unable to build on that result in their first league match of 2025.

The Reds and Whites suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of struggling Saint-Etienne at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on 4 January.

Luka Elsner's side took the lead through Keito Nakamura in the 42nd minute, but Ghanaian striker Augustine Boakye pulled Saint-Etienne level on 50 minutes.

Boakye then put the hosts ahead in the 57th minute, before Lucas Stassin's 80th-minute strike sealed all three points for the Greens.

The defeat means that Elsner's men are now winless in their last five league games, with three draws and two defeats to show for their efforts.

Worse still, they are not getting the best of themselves on their own turf, with two wins, three draws and three defeats from eight home games - the fourth worst home record of the season - symptomatic of their struggles in front of their own fans.

With a home game next up for the Reds and Whites, it remains to be seen if they can break their hoodoo of going four games without a home win.

Success for the 11th-placed hosts will guarantee their first win over the visitors since August 2018, and their first home league victory since a 4-2 triumph over Montpellier in October 2024, and potentially put more distance between them and the relegation zone - they are five points above Nantes in the relegation play-off spot and eight ahead of second-bottom Le Havre.

Meanwhile, Nice have been in impressive form this term, as evidenced by their sixth-place finish with 27 points, which puts them on course to secure European football for a second successive season.

Having reached the last 32 of the Coupe de France, Nice have continued their fine form in the top flight with a 3-2 win over Rennes in their first league match of 2025, extending their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to three games.

Les Aiglons go into the game with confidence, having lost just once in their last 12 league games - a 4-1 defeat at Lyon in early December.

Their strong away record against Reims, which includes an 11-match unbeaten run, will only add to their belief that they can extend their dominance over their opponents.

Central to their success this term has been their goalscoring prowess, with the Eaglets boasting the third-best attack in the league with 31 goals to their name.

Franck Haise's men have scored in their last 10 league outings, with six of their last eight outings in the top flight seeing them score at least twice.

A Nice triumph at the Stade Auguste-Delaune on Saturday could take their tally to 33 points and see them finish the 17th round in third place, should other results go their way this weekend.

Recent Performance

Reims Ligue 1 form:WDLDDL

Reims form (all competitions):DLDDWL

Nice Ligue 1 form:DWLWDW

Nice form (all competitions):LWLDWW

Team News

Reims will be without Reda Khadra, who is out with a cruciate ligament injury, while Abdoul Kone and Mohamed Daramy are nursing hamstring and knee injuries respectively.

However, Nakamura, the home side's top scorer, will be joined in attack by Oumar Diakite and Junya Ito, the latter of whom has seven goals to his name.

For the visitors, Haise faces a selection headache as he goes into the game with a depleted squad due to a combination of suspensions and injuries.

Terem Moffi, Morgan Sanson, Ali Abdi and Jeremie Boga are all unavailable due to various injuries, while Pablo Rosario is suspended for the game after being sent off against Rennes.

However, the likes of Badredine Bouanani, Sofiane Diop and top scorer Evann Guessand, who has seven goals to his name, are expected to support Gaetan Laborde in attack.

Possible starting lineup

Reims possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Kipre, Buta, De Smet, Akieme, Atangana Edoa, Munetsi, Kone; Ito, Diakite, Nakamura

Nice possible starting lineup:

Bulka; Abdelmonem, Ndayishimiye, Bard, Mendy; Ndombele, Boudaoui; Diop, Bouanani, Guessand; Laborde