Montpellier vs Nice prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-11-09 20:00.
Having alternated between victory and defeat since early October, Montpellier continued this pattern with a 3-0 loss at PSG last weekend, following a win by the same scoreline against Toulouse. One further week of that pattern would be welcomed by Michel Der Zakarian's men, who sit 13th in the Ligue 1 standings, and more worryingly, just one point clear of the bottom three.
Der Zakarian admitted that "the bar was set too high" after the defeat against PSG, but it may not be any easier this time when they host the league leaders Nice, an opponent who beat them in the two H2Hs last season by an aggregate score of 9-3! A third consecutive clean sheet at Stade de la Mosson would assist Montpellier’s pursuit of securing at least one point, but their last such run in Ligue 1 dates all the way back to 2018.
Undefeated at the Ligue 1 summit (W7, D4), Nice appear to be experiencing a resurgence under coach Francesco Farioli, who has established a robust defensive framework for the team. After their 2-0 triumph against Rennes last Sunday, the Eaglets make this trip on the back of four straight wins and six consecutive clean sheets, contributing to what is by far the best defensive record among the traditional top-five European leagues, with the Nice backline conceding just four goals.
Farioli will be determined to win here, not least because he would be remembered as the first Nice coach to win five successive top-flight away games! A good start could be the key to achieving that feat, as Nice have emerged victorious in an impressive 23 of the 30 Ligue 1 away fixtures in which they opened the scoring since the beginning of the 2020/21 season (D7)!
Players to watch: Teji Savanier scored all three of Montpellier's goals in the two H2Hs last season, including a brace within 17 minutes here. Nice will hope Hicham Boudaoui can find the net, given he led his team to victory with a clean sheet in his previous six away goal scoring appearances.
Hot stat: Since the beginning of last season, Montpellier have won just one of the nine Ligue 1 home games in which they were pre-match underdogs (D3, L5).