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[monks data]
Nice
Coupe de France | Semi-Finals
Mar 1, 2022 at 8pm UK
Stade Municipal du Ray

Nice
2 - 0
Versailles

Gouiri (48'), Dolberg (73')
Bard (15'), Boudaoui (32')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Alledji (41'), Brun (90+1')

Preview: Versailles vs. Nice - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Tuesday's Coupe de France clash between Versailles and Nice, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Ligue 1's third-placed side Nice will do battle with fourth-tier Versailles on Tuesday with a place in the Coupe de France final on the line.

Christophe Galtier's side progressed to the final four by dumping favourites Paris Saint-Germain out as well as Marseille, while Versailles have defied the odds by progressing through six rounds of the tournament.


Match preview

Nice coach Christophe Galtier on February 6, 2022© Reuters

In what has been an impressive first season under Christophe Galtier, Nice kicked off their Coupe de France campaign with a narrow 1-0 win away at Cholet, before they were given an unenviable draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

That tie remained goalless for 120 minutes, and Les Aiglons eventually prevailed in the shootout as Marcin Bulka denied Xavi Simons's decisive penalty.

Their path did not get much easier with a quarter-final game against Marseille, but Galtier's side comfortably secured their progression with a dominant 4-1 win thanks to a Justin Kluivert brace and goals from Amine Gouiri and Andy Delort.

Nice's cup run has complemented a commendable league campaign, with Les Aiglons currently occupying third spot after 26 games with 46 points, just six fewer than they managed in a ninth-placed finish last time out.

After a goalless draw against Strasbourg in their most recent Ligue 1 outing, Galtier's men will now look to book their place in May's final, having been given a seemingly enviable draw against fourth-tier Versailles.

Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo, Marcin Bulka and teammates celebrate winning the match after a penalty shootout on January 31, 2022© Reuters

Their opponents come in looking to cause an eye-catching upset, having already progressed through six rounds of this season's cup competition.

After beating Olympique Lumbrois, Poissy, Sarre Union and La Roche, they were drawn away at Toulouse, and Youssef Chibhi's side upset the Ligue 2 leaders with a 1-0 away win thanks to Kapit Djoco's 79th-minute goal.

They most recently met third-tier Bergerac Perigord and extended a fairytale cup run with a penalty shootout triumph after being held to a 1-1 draw in the 89th minute.

Currently topping their domestic division, Versailles will now look to hand out what would be a historic upset on Tuesday to progress to the Coupe de France final against all odds.

Versailles Coupe de France form:
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W

Versailles form (all competitions):
  • D
  • W
  • D
  • W
  • W
  • D

Nice Coupe de France form:
  • W
  • W
  • W

Nice form (all competitions):
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • D



Team News

Nice's Amine Gouiri celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on February 9, 2022© Reuters

Nice are without captain Dante and important attacker Justin Kluivert, as both will serve suspensions after being shown red cards during the defeat to Strasbourg.

Jordan Amavi and Youcef Atal will also miss out, as the duo continue to battle through injuries.

Other than those enforced absences, Galtier will likely deploy a full-strength team given the stakes of Tuesday's semi-final, as they look to ensure they are not dealt an upset.

Kasper Dolberg should come into the front line in Kluivert's absence, with Andy Delort and Amine Gouiri also expected to play key roles going forward, while Pablo Rosario could again fill in at the back alongside Danilo Barbosa.

Kapit Djoco should again lead the line for Versailles, having netted two winning goals in their cup run, including in the victory over Toulouse.

Christoper Ibayi has also netted five goals in the Coupe de France this season, and he could be deployed in the front line if Chibhi can accommodate two attackers in what is expected to be a defensive lineup given the difficult task at hand.

Versailles possible starting lineup:
Delauney; Pham Ba, Durand De Gevigney, Akueson, Diouf, Traore; Michel, Vieira, Diarrassouba; Ibayi, Djoco

Nice possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Lotomba, Danilo, Rosario, Bard; Thuram, Lemina; Stengs, Gouiri; Delort, Dolberg


SM words green background

We say: Versailles 0-3 Nice

While Versailles have been particularly impressive to reach this stage, we ultimately see Tuesday as a step too far and expect them to bow out at the hands of the Ligue 1 high-fliers.

Galtier's side should be too strong for their fourth-tier counterparts, and they will look to go within one match of the trophy in an efficient manner.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:curl



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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Nice win with a probability of 59.86%. A draw had a probability of 22.7% and a win for Versailles had a probability of 17.48%.

The most likely scoreline for a Nice win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.46%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-0 (11.31%) and 2-1 (9.77%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (10.76%), while for a Versailles win it was 0-1 (5.93%). The actual scoreline of 2-0 was predicted with an 11.3% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Nice would win this match.


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Game History

How you voted: Versailles vs Nice

Versailles
30.8%
Draw
11.5%
Nice
57.7%
26
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Amine Gouiri pictured for Nice in August 2021
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