Nice aim to turn their fortunes around and breathe new life into their fading Champions League aspirations when they welcome Angers to Allianz Riviera this weekend for round 30 of Ligue 1.

Le Gym are now winless in five top-flight outings after salvaging a late point at Strasbourg last weekend, while the visitors ended their own barren run with a crucial win over Montpellier.

Match preview

Having suffered defeats against Lyon, Monaco and Nantes, Nice looked destined for another frustrating loss, but Youssouf Ndayishimiye's stoppage-time strike proved decisive as it handed them a hard-earned draw.

Franck Haise's men had strung together four consecutive victories before the wheels came off, and their recent slide has seen them lose valuable ground at a time when the race for Europe is at its fiercest.

Only three points separate second-placed Monaco from sixth-placed Strasbourg, who sit two points ahead of Nice in seventh, with the Eaglets having amassed 48 points so far this season.

That makes this weekend's fixture a potential turning point for Le Gym, especially as they face a side they have defeated in six of their last nine meetings, including a resounding 4-1 win in the reverse fixture, although their most recent encounter at Allianz Riviera ended in a disappointing 1-0 loss for the hosts.

That setback adds to their recent struggles on home turf, where they have suffered two defeats in their last three games and picked up just a single point, a stark contrast to their previous 11 matches at the venue, where they remained unbeaten with eight wins and three draws.

Nice have found the net 57 times in this season's top flight and conceded 37 goals, with their plus 17 goal difference only bettered by Monaco and Lyon among the sides vying for Champions League qualification – a factor that could prove crucial come the season's end.

Meanwhile, Angers brought an end to their six-match winless run with a 2-0 victory over bottom-placed Montpellier last weekend to inject renewed belief into their survival bid.

Heading into that match, the Black and Whites had suffered five successive defeats without scoring, but Esteban Lepaul took just two minutes to end that drought and doubled his tally shortly before the interval to seal the victory.

That result sees Alexandre Dujeux's side sit 13th on the table with 30 points from eight wins, six draws and 15 defeats, keeping them three points clear of the relegation playoff position.

The clean sheet against Montpellier was Angers' fourth in their last 14 league matches, although they have not recorded back-to-back shutouts within the same campaign since August 2021.

The visitors will need to defy the odds if they are to buck that trend this time, particularly against a Nice side that have scored in all but one of their 14 top-flight home matches this season.

Angers' away record of four wins, four draws and six losses in the league may not be spectacular, but it is solid enough to give them hope of grinding out a result this weekend.

Team News

Tanguy Ndombele remains sidelined for Nice, along with Mohamed Ali-Cho and Mohamed Abdelmonem, as all three continue their respective recoveries from injury.

Sofiane Diop's status remains uncertain after missing the last two matches, meaning Jeremie Boga is expected to retain his place on the left flank of attack.

Evann Guessand and Gaetan Laborde have combined for 20 league goals this season, but both are currently on a three-game drought and will be desperate to rediscover their scoring touch.

Bamba Dieng, Haris Belkebla, Pierrick Capelle, Sidiki Cherif and Emmanuel Biumla are all ruled out for the visitors due to injury concerns.

After their triumph over Montpellier, Dujeux is likely to stick with an unchanged starting XI, with Lepaul once again set to lead the line alongside Farid El Melali as he aims to build on last weekend's brace.

Nice possible starting lineup:

Bulka; Dante, Ndayishimiye, Mendy; Bard, Santamaría, Boudaoui, Clauss; Boga, Laborde, Guessand

Angers possible starting lineup:

Fofana; Hanin, Lefort, Bamba; Ekomie, Abdelli, Aholou, Belkhdim; Raolisoa; Lepaul, Melali