Preview: Monaco and Nice Clash in Latest Derby de la Côte d’Azur

For those unaware, the derby gets its name because Monaco and Nice are the two main clubs in France located on or near the Côte d’Azur, commonly known in English as the French Riviera.

Monaco need the points to keep pace with Paris Saint-Germain, as they’re currently tied with 20 points, but PSG holds the advantage in goal differential, allowing them to sit at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

The second-place side also have to be aware of Olympique de Marseille, who are right behind them with 17 points. A draw or loss to Nice could see OM tie Monaco on points if they secure a win in Le Classique.

Adi Hütter and his team head into this derby riding positive momentum after their 5-1 win over Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League. Ahead of the matchup against Nice, Hütter shared his thoughts on what will be a challenging opponent.

“I can’t say that we’re going into this game with an advantage, because a Derby is always special. I’ve played a lot of them during my career as a player and then as a coach, so from experience, it’s a special encounter. It’s not an advantage to play it at this time, in a good period for us. Both teams will play to win, and I hope we’ll be ready for this duel.”

“We are in a very good run of form at the moment, everyone knows that. I watched the Nice game [on Thursday] in Budapest, but we expect to face a very different team in terms of the starting eleven on Sunday. For our part, we must continue our run, continue to develop our style of football and follow our process. Nice is a very good team with a great coach, Franck Haise. It is a Derby, I repeat, so it remains a big challenge for us.”

Nice head into this game against Monaco in difficult form as they’re coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss in the UEFA Europa League to Ferencvárosi and are riding a six-match winless streak across all competitions.

Franck Haise and his team last won on September 20 against AS Saint-Étienne, so this derby could be the jolt to get the squad back on the right track. Even with Nice struggling, Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer knows they cannot take them lightly, considering it’s a derby.

“I don’t think they’re struggling too much right now. They have a solid squad with quality players and a clear game plan. They switched coaches this summer, and some new players have joined. They might still be working on their chemistry, which can take time. I’ve seen some criticism of the team, but I wouldn’t underestimate them because we know what they’re capable of.”

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