Nice vs Le Mans Prediction 5 September 2026
🔊 Nice have failed to win at home in 12 of their last 13 Ligue 1 matches and sit 17th after two rounds. Le Mans have just come up from Ligue 2 but are above the hosts in the table. The newly promoted side have scored four goals; Nice have scored none. The two sides meet in matchday 3 on 5 September at the Allianz Riviera.
Head-to-Head
📊 These two clubs have not met in Ligue 1 since March 2010. Nice's last home league meeting with Le Mans came even earlier, on 1 November 2009, and Nice won that day. The southern side took all three of the last league meetings between the two, with Le Mans failing to score in two of them. The most recent encounter, though, went to the visitors: in October 2019, in Ligue 2, Le Mans knocked Patrick Vieira's Nice out of the Coupe de la Ligue, winning 3-2. All five goals came within the first 18 minutes.
Head-to-head statistics Nice - Le Mans
Nice Team Overview
Last season was one to forget for Nice. In the Europa League league phase, they lost seven of their eight matches; in May, they were beaten in the Coupe de France final by Lens; and they only preserved their top-flight status by getting through the play-offs against Saint-Étienne. Almost everything changed at the club over the summer. Olivier Pantoloni arrived from Lorient, where he had finished the previous season in tenth, and Roger Ricart was appointed sporting director.
The changes have yet to produce results. At home, Nice drew 0-0 with Lorient, then went to Paris, conceded three and came away with nothing. After two rounds, they have one point. In July, Nice thrashed Marseille in a friendly, but there has been no sign of that version of the team at the start of the league season.
Match Results: Nice
Le Mans Team Overview
Le Mans returned to Ligue 1 for the first time since the 2009/10 season, having secured promotion by finishing second in Ligue 2, losing just four times throughout that campaign. In the space of two years, Patrick Vieira's side went from the third division to the top flight, and before the season started bookmakers had them among the leading candidates for relegation.
The first two rounds did little to confirm that assessment. At home, Le Mans took a point against Brest, then lost 2-3 at Rennes, with the decisive goal coming from a penalty in stoppage time. The visitors did not give up, though: they came back from two goals down to level the score during the match. After two rounds, Le Mans have one point and sit 13th.
Match Results: Le Mans
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Nice
❌ The hosts' biggest loss came before the season even started. Laurent Abergel, whom Pantalone knows from Lorient, suffered a cruciate ligament injury shortly after joining. The club brought in 37-year-old Axel Witsel as a replacement, with the Belgian becoming the oldest debutant in Ligue 1 since David Beckham. Moïse Bombito, Morgan Sanson and Ali Abdi are also out. Salis Abdul Samed and Hicham Boudaoui are doubts.
Le Mans
❗️ The club strengthened their attack in the summer, signing Louis Mafuta from Guingamp - last season's second-top scorer in Ligue 2. Rennes brought fresh injury news for both sides. Djibril Sidibé came on as a substitute and received a straight red card 43 seconds later for a reckless foul, meaning the defender will miss at least the match in Nice. Goalkeeper Nicolas Cotsic went off injured in the 81st minute and was replaced by Evan Hatfoot. Ryan Bamba and Samuel Yohou are in the treatment room.
Predicted Lineups
Predicted Nice starting XI: Diouف - Abdelmounem, Ndayishimiye, Mandza - Kloss, Coulibaly, Witsel, Bar - N, Diop - Ngoumu.
Predicted Le Mans starting XI: Cotsic - Eyum, Boisse, Voyer - Bouadé, Bretel, Lauré, Bourabaa, Kaloda - Gueye, Mafuta.
⚽️ Goals Prediction
At home, Nice have scored no more than one goal in six of their last seven Ligue 1 matches. They failed to score against either Lorient or Paris and remain the only side in the league yet to open their account this season. Le Mans have shed their Ligue 2 habits from last season only in attack - at the back they sit deep and let the opposition have the ball. We are not expecting Nice to score more than one goal. The bet is Nice Team Total - Under 1.5 at 1.83*.
🚩 Corner Kick Prediction
Le Mans have earned more than 3.5 corners in 8 of their last 9 away matches. Their last ten matches point in the same direction: they average 5.3 corners per game, while Nice's opponents average 5.2. The projected corner tally for the visitors comes out above five, which gives a comfortable margin over the line. Away at Rennes, Le Mans had just 36 per cent of possession and still won six corners. The bet is Le Mans Team Total Corners - Over 3.5 at 1.88*.
🟨 Yellow Cards Prediction
Over their last ten official matches, Nice have averaged 1.4 yellow cards per game, with their opponents averaging 1.7. Le Mans show the same figures on both sides. Adding those up: 1.4 for the team plus 1.7 for their opponents gives an average of 1.55 per side and 3.1 per match. That comfortably clears the 2.5 line. The calculation is backed by recent evidence: away from home against Rennes, the visitors committed 15 fouls and picked up a red card, while Alexandre Lauré has collected two bookings in two rounds and already ranks among the most frequently cautioned players in the league. The bet is Total Yellow Cards - Over 2.5.
📌 Editorial Prediction
Nice have failed to win in 11 of their last 12 Ligue 1 matches, and the start of the season has done nothing to change that. Le Mans have the opposite record: unbeaten in 12 of their last 13 matches. The visitors have not lost by more than one goal in 13 consecutive meetings. Both runs have been going for several months now, and Nice currently have nothing to break them with. We do not expect Nice to end their home run in this particular round. Our bet is Le Mans not to lose. Predicted score: 1-1.
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Betting Tips: Nice - Le Mans
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