The 2015-16 Ligue 1 season kicks off on Saturday as Nice host AS Monaco at the Allianz Riviera in the Cote d'Azur derby.
Leonardo Jardim's men will be eyeing a strong start to the campaign as they look to challenge Paris Saint-Germain for the title after falling 12 points off the pace last season, while Nice will look to build on their mid-table finish.
Nice
© Getty Images
Les Aiglons had the perfect start to the last campaign when they claimed a 3-2 victory over Toulouse, and three further wins before October put them in a strong position.
However, Claude Puel's men were inconsistent throughout the season which prevented a challenge to push into the top half of the table.
A seven-match winless run between January and March dragged them dangerously towards the relegation zone, although they managed to rally to claw themselves to safety. The campaign ended full circle for the team with another 3-2 win over Toulouse to move them into 11th place.
Hatem Ben Arfa, Valere Germain and Maxime Le Marchand arrived at the club over the summer to bolster their ranks for the new campaign.
Nice had a strong pre-season as they recorded victories in four of their six matches, with their only defeat coming against Zulte-Waregem.
Les Aiglons signed off their pre-season with an impressive 3-2 win over Napoli, putting them in good shape ahead of the opener.
Pre-season form: WLWDWW
Monaco
© Getty Images
Monaco earned a place in the Champions League as a result of their third-place finish, but Jardim will be determined to mount a challenge for the title to knock Paris Saint-Germain off their perch.
Les Rouges et Blancs will be looking for a stronger start then they had in the last campaign as they lost their opener to Lorient and then sustained a defeat to Bordeaux, which put them off the pace from the outset.
Defeats to Lyon and Nice followed in September which left them well adrift of the leaders, but Jardim's men slowly clicked into gear as the season progressed.
Monaco lost just two of their last 19 matches in the league to surge into the Champions League places, but they were made to rue their poor start to the season as they were 12 points off the pace for the title.
Stephan El Shaarawy, Ivan Cavaleiro and Adama Traore all arrived in the summer to bolster the ranks, while Radamel Falcao led the departures from the Stade Louis II.
Jardim's men struggled in the early stages of pre-season with defeats to Hannover, Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Moscow, but they began to find their rhythm with victories over Queens Park Rangers and PSV Eindhoven.
Monaco cruised into the third qualifying round of the Champions League as they produced a 7-1 aggregate victory over Young Boys to leave them in prime form heading into the campaign.
Recent form: WWDWWW
Team News
© Getty Images
Loanee Germain will miss the match as he is on loan at Nice from Monaco and is unavailable to play against his parent club. Ben Arfa is in line to make his first appearance in Ligue 1 for Puel's men following his summer move along with Jean Seri.
Puel has no other suspension or injury concerns ahead of the match at the Allianz Riviera.
Jardim played the same team for his side's two wins over Young Boys when they progressed into the third qualifying round of the Champions League, and he may be tempted to stick with the same starting lineup.
Shaarawy could come into the side after netting the fourth goal in their victory, while Guido Carrillo and Adama Traore may also be in contention after coming off the bench at the Stade Louis II.
Anthony Martial and Ivan Cavaleiro are likely to spearhead the Monaco attack after impressing in the victory over Young Boys.
Nice possible starting lineup:
Hassen, Bodmer, Gomis, Genevois, Le Marchand, Eysseric, Seri, Ben Arfa, Mendy, Plea, Benrahama
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Subasic, Fabinho, Abdennour, Carvalho, Kurzawa, Toulalan, Pasalic, Moutinho, Dirar, Cavaleiro, Martial
Head To Head
Monaco won the last meeting between the sides with a 1-0 victory at the Allianz Riviera thanks to a goal from Aymen Abdennour, but Nice won the earlier clash also by a 1-0 margin as Carlos Eduardo found the net.
Les Rouges et Blancs won all three matches between the teams in the 2013-14 campaign, which included a victory in the French Cup.
Over the course of history the teams are level on victories with nine apiece, while seven of the matches have ended in draws.
We say: Nice 1-2 Monaco
Monaco have been in good form over the course of pre-season and their Champions League matches, and even though Nice has performed during the summer, Jardim's men will have enough to edge out their rivals in the contest.
Simon Sinclair
