Nice - OM: Seeking victory in the Southern Derby
A sluggish start
After a timid start in Ligue 1 Conforama, Olympique de Marseille really wants to get back on track in the Southern Derby against OGC Nice at the Allianz Riviera. After a loss to Reims (0-2) and a draw with FC Nantes (0-0), OM currently sits 17th in the table, needing to move away from the bottom spots.
The taste of victory
Since the start of the Ligue 1 Conforama season, captain Steve Mandanda and his team-mates are still winless. Facing Nice, victory is the primary objective. Secondarily, OM aims to maintain its domination over Nice - with five wins in a row on the line.
Nice full of confidence
This Wednesday night, Les Olympiens will face a confident Nice squad. Bought officialy by Jim Ratcliffe last monday, Patrick Vieira's team has been riding high on the momentum of two consecutive wins in Ligue 1 Conforama, over Amiens (2-1) and Nimes (1-2). Nice, led by captain Dante and the in-form Wylan Cyprien, wants to ride continue onward. The midfielder, scorer of a goal and two assists early in the season, will be closely watched by the Marseillais.
In the words of Andre Villas-Boas
"Ten days between Nantes and Nice, it's too long. This is not the ideal situation. We gave some free time to the players, two days after Nantes. Last Friday, we had a little game against the U19 squad, to keep a little pace. Like the other weeks, we worked hard on the things we missed. The most important thing for us is to reproduce in matches what we do well in training. We will face Nice in a moment where they are full of confidence. They have played well with the ball and have produced positive results in two difficult situations. They are very well organized, very well coached by Patrick Vieira. I hope it's going to be a good match. I want to win and I want to see a progression by the team, that's what is the most important for me."