Derby Anticipation

Team Form and European Campaigns

AS Monaco enters this derby as the favored side, primarily due to their strong home advantage and OGC Nice’s underwhelming start to the current campaign. Adi Hütter’s squad currently sits in an impressive fourth position, trailing the league leaders by just three points, while Nice languishes in 12th. A shared struggle for both teams has been their European outings; Monaco suffered a 1-4 defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League, and Nice fell 1-2 to AS Roma in the Europa League. However, Monaco recently showed resilience by securing a 2-2 draw against Manchester City this week, demonstrating their attacking prowess, even if Erling Haaland proved difficult to contain.

Nice’s Struggles and Recent Form

Nice’s participation in the Europa League on Thursday presents a significant challenge, involving travel and reduced recovery time ahead of this crucial derby. Franck Haise’s side has been struggling, failing to secure a victory even against a Ligue 1 newcomer, highlighting their difficulties. Their recent 1-1 draw against PSG in Round 6 saw the Parisian giants equalize with a late penalty, but statistics showed PSG created more significant opportunities (1.84 xG vs Nice’s 0.96 xG). The ‘Eaglets’ are currently in a three-match winless streak across all competitions.

Away Form and Prediction

This winless streak is highly likely to continue in the French championship. Notably, OGC Nice has failed to secure a single victory or even a point in their away matches this season. Considering these factors, I am confident that AS Monaco will emerge victorious in this highly anticipated derby.