Troyes take on Nice at Stade de l'Aube on Sunday afternoon, in the latest round of Ligue 1 fixtures.
The hosts are almost certain to be relegated as we approach the end of the season, currently sitting in 18th place, while the visitors are up in 10th.
Match preview
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Troyes are now 10 points from safety in Ligue 1, having been on a disastrous run of form in the second half of the season, losing 12 and drawing four of their last 16 matches in all competitions.
ESTAC would need a remarkable turnaround in the final six games of the season to avoid the drop to Ligue 2, but they have developed a really bad habit of conceding late goals, which has cost them on multiple occasions in recent weeks.
Patrick Kisnorbo's side conceded twice late on against Monaco at the beginning of March, having led for the majority of the match, with the game eventually finishing 2-2, while they also drew 2-2 last time out.
In an away trip to Nantes last weekend, Troyes thought they had taken all three points when Wilson Odobert fired home in stoppage time, but Evan Guessand equalised just minutes later to deny them what could have been a crucial three points.
ESTAC have struggled at home all season, collecting just 12 points from 15 games on their own patch, and they now face the difficult prospect of facing off against a team that are very good on their travels.
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Indeed, Nice have been very solid away from home all season, having collected 24 points from 16 games, the fifth-best record in the league, although it is their home form which has really let them down.
Les Aiglons have lost their last three matches at the Allianz Riviera, and they have failed to win on home soil in Ligue 1 since the beginning of February, when they defeated relegation-threatened AC Ajaccio 3-0.
Didier Digard's side have struggled in recent weeks, collecting just two points from their last five Ligue 1 matches, and their Europa Conference League run also finally came to an end in the quarter-finals, after being defeated 4-3 by Basel on aggregate.
Last time out, Nice were defeated 2-1 by Clermont at home, despite having the majority of possession and registering more shots on target than their opponents, and they now sit 10th in the table, with little to play for at this stage.
However, Les Aiglons will still want to finish the season strongly, and they have a very good recent record against Troyes, winning three of the last four meetings between the two sides, including the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Team News
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Troyes will be without left-wing back Abdu Conte, as the 25-year-old has missed the last four games through injury, so Yasser Larouci is likely to get the nod in his place, having started the last two games.
Florian Tardieu has been a long-term absentee due to an Achilles tendon injury, and forward Renaud Ripart also now has the same issue, which will rule him out for the remainder of the campaign.
As for Nice, Alexis Beka Beka is unavailable due to a hip injury, while midfielder Sofiane Diop also remains out of contention, having now missed the last 10 games.
Nicolas Pepe is a more recent absentee, having sustained a knee injury, meaning Terem Moffi and Gaetan Laborde should get the nod in attack.
Troyes possible starting lineup:
Gallon; Zoukrou, Rami, Palmer-Brown; Bruus, Kouame, Agoume, Larouci; Odobert, Reine-Adelaide, Balde
Nice possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Mendy, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Boudaoui, Ndayishimiye, Thuram; Bouanani, Moffi, Laborde
We say: Troyes 2-3 Nice
Nice have struggled in recent weeks, but Troyes cannot seem to buy a win at the moment and they have been poor all season, meaning the visitors are likely to emerge with a narrow victory.
Despite their position in the Ligue 1 table, Troyes have been decent in front of goal, while Nice are without a clean sheet in their last nine games, so it could be a high-scoring affair.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Dominic Lund
