Despite taking the lead before half time in a crucial clash against fellow top-four rivals Monaco on Saturday night, Nice blew the chance to move into second place, losing 2-1 in the principality.

That result means Nice have taken just one point from their last three games, and clearly-irate manager Franck Haise took aim at owner Jim Ratcliffe too, hitting out at the new Manchester United figurehead for not attending a single match this season.

Ratcliffe had initially claimed that watching Nice does not excite him, and unless Haise's men can up their performance levels in the final seven matches of the season, they are in grave danger of surrendering their current spot in the top four.

Nice's final three away games will be against Strasbourg, Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes, who are among the three most in-form sides in France at present, so results here at the Riviera must be near-perfect.

With Nantes, Angers, Reims and Brest all still to visit, they represent four winnable games given the recent form of those clubs, and Nice have the advantage of playing first this weekend, handing them a second opportunity to move into second, albeit temporarily.

As we enter the final two months of the season, there is a six-horse race for the three remaining Champions League places, with second-placed Monaco and Lyon in seventh separated by just five points.

Improving on the 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture will be pivotal for Haise's side, but Nice are winless in six matches against Nantes, after winning four in a row between 2020 and 2022.

However, Nantes have also suffered from a drop in confidence in recent weeks, with Antoine Kombouare's men now back in relegation trouble after a 3-2 defeat to 16th-placed Le Havre last weekend.

Timothee Pembele's 88th-minute winner settled the encounter, after Nantes had pegged Le Havre back twice, but it was ultimately a fifth defeat in seven matches for the Canaries.

Wins over Lens and Lille recently made it appear that Nantes were on course to cruise away from trouble, but wins for Le Havre and Reims last weekend have pulled them back in.

Assuming Saint-Etienne are awarded three points for the abandoned fixture against Montpellier, that will mean the five teams between 13th and 17th will be split by just four points, with only three assured of survival.

Nice possible starting lineup:

Bulka; Bombito, Ndayishimiye, Abdelmonem; Clauss, Rosario, Santamaria, Abdi; Guessand, Laborde, Boga

Nantes possible starting lineup:

Lopes; Amian, Sow, Pallois, Cozza; Lepenant, Douglas Augusto; Thomas, Abline, Simon; Mohamed