Lorient vs Nice prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-08-19 13:00.
After achieving their highest Ligue 1 (L1) finish since 2013/14 last season, coming tenth, Lorient showed that they’re primed to take themselves to new heights after holding reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain to a 0-0 draw on the opening day. The aim will now be to emulate the impressive start that kickstarted last term’s success, where they lost only once in their first 12 matches of the campaign (W8, D3).
The Stade du Moustoir faithful will most certainly come to the party on Sunday, since their troops have treated them to an undefeated league start at home for six seasons running (W4, D2). Continuing that trend here will preserve another proud Merlucciidaes record of having never lost back-to-back Ligue 1 home matches against opponents Nice, who won 2-1 on their last visit in October 2022.
Nice so nearly got their 2023/24 campaign off to a winning start against Lille, until they conceded a heartbreaking 93rd-minute equaliser to draw 1-1, ruining newly appointed manager Francesco Farioli’s big debut in the dugout. That would’ve been the perfect way for the south-eastern French outfit to throw off the shackles of last season's sluggish campaign, where they had to win their last two league matches just to equal their joint-lowest finish of ninth from the previous seven seasons.
If there’s one trait Farioli will want his Eaglets to hold on to from last season, it’s their away form, having marginally won more points on the road (30) than at home (28). Luckily for him, Nice have made a habit of starting fast in that regard, losing their first away match of a L1 campaign only once in the last nine seasons (W4, D4).
Players to watch: Lorient might rely on returning loanee Romain Faivre to orchestrate their attacks, since four of his five goals last season came at the Stade du Moustoir. Meanwhile, Nice’s Gaëtan Laborde picked up where he left off last season, scoring against Lille, which is troublesome news for Lorient considering he’s scored in four of his last five L1 appearances against them.
Hot stat: Both teams have found the net in nine of the last 12 H2Hs.