Nice v Guingamp Betting Tips: Visitors can add to Nice’s woes

Aug 18 2017
Aug 18 2017
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After enjoying a fruitful campaign last season, one that saw them finish inside the top four for the second season running and thus earn a place in Champions League qualifying rounds, Nice have made a poor start to the current campaign. Two matches in and Lucian Favre’s men are without a win and, more embarrassingly, are without a single point to their name having lost to both St Etienne and Troyes. What’s more, the club from the French Riviera have a growing injury list and come into this fixture having both played (and lost) away from home in the Champions League play-offs on Wednesday night.

In contrast, Guingamp have made a reasonably useful start to the new campaign, while they come into this fixture with the added bonus of having had a full week to recover. A 3-1 win over Metz on match-day one was a very pleasing start for the visitors and, let’s face it, they lost nothing in defeat last time out against a PSG side who are likely to cruise to the title. In fact, holding out against such mighty opposition for the opening 50 minutes was something of a minor victory.

With the way things have gone so far, it’s very difficult to see just how Nice merit odds-on favouritism ahead of this clash. Last season, at full throttle, with all of their players fit, Lucan Favre’s men looked tough to beat on their own patch and did indeed warrant strong favouritism more often than not. However, having started the way they have, with key players missing, the home side make very little appeal. Frankly, this is the right time to be facing Nice and, as a result, Guingamp, who come here in better shape, are well worth supporting on the ‘Draw No Bet’ market. A price of 2/1, with money back if the match ends as a draw, simply looks too big.

As touched on above, Guingamp acquitted themselves well against PSG last time out while they also proved to be useful against Metz, particularly on the counter. Playing on the break is a tactic that could serve them well here too. Nice will undoubtedly look to dominate possession and get on the front foot; however, without many of their key attacking players, they look far less threatening. Newly promoted Troyes were capable of keeping Favre’s side at bay last weekend before hurting them on the counter and so it’s very easy to see this Guingamp side doing something similar.

On paper, when at full strength, it would be hard to dismiss Nice against most of the teams in this division but, as they’re in poor form and without a number of their big players, it’s not hard at all to see their dodgy run continuing. Favre has already said that both Balotelli and Sneijder are unlikely to start here, while Cyprien and Le Bihan, two of last season’s better performers, are out with injury. What’s more, Nice’s summer transfer business has also been rather disappointing. Exciting left-back Dalbert was sold to Inter, while Valentin Eysseric, another player who performed well last season, has gone to Fiorentina. Without the attacking presence of Cyprien, Le Bihan and Eysseric, Nice have already looked far less creative this season. On top of this, without Balotelli, they’ve looked far less likely to score even when they have managed to forge an opening.

All things considered, Guingamp appear to be facing Nice at the perfect time and are well worth backing, with the insurance that ‘Draw No Bet’ provides, to make things a little more uncomfortable for a manager who may already be starting to feel the pinch.

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