Ligue 1 Predictions | Round 19: Nice face Marseille and Strasbourg host Lille | OneFootball

GFFN editor-in-chief  Luke Entwistle and GFFN’s  Raphaël Jucobin face off in our Ligue 1 predictions competition. It’s three points for a correct score, two points for a correct score difference, and one point for a correct result. Who will come out on top at the end of the season?

SCORES

Raphaël: 98

Luke: 103

Game of the week: OGC Nice v Olympique de Marseille, Sunday 19:45 (UK)

Nice have scored in each of their last 15 games in all competitions. Scoring was a big issue under Francesco Farioli last season but less so this season. Gaëtan Laborde has enjoyed an uptick in form, Sofiane Diop has returned from a long-term injury a player transformed, and Evann Guessand has established himself as one of the most exciting centre-forwards in the division. Preventing goals is more of an issue as it showed once again at Lille last weekend. Marcin Bulka is less impressive and Moïse Bombito’s absence has also been telling. He is nearing a return but perhaps not in time to face Marseille. Fatigue will also be an element to factor into this encounter. Le Gym faced Elfsborg in the Europa League, in Sweden, on Thursday. They will have much less recovery time than their opponents in this Derby de la Méditerannée.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side were held at the Vélodrome by Strasbourg last weekend but nonetheless look strong. Scoring goals is, nonetheless, a slight issue, which seems bizarre to say given that only PSG have scored more. That attests more to the amount of chances that they create and less to the efficiency of their forwards. Neal Maupay is on a barren run and Elye Wahi looks to be on his way out. Mason Greenwood is the top scorer in Ligue 1 but he is assuming the goal-scoring mantle on his own in many matches and should he be contained, OM are a much less threatening proposition for their opponents. When OM win, they are accustomed to thrashing their opponents but in tighter games, they do miss that more clinical figure through the middle. However, Nice’s defence isn’t the strongest of late. This derby is often an unpredictable one but both teams should at least get on the scoresheet in this one.

Raphaël’s full predictions

Luke’s full predictions

GFFN | Luke Entwistle