Saturday 09/08/2014, 21:00, France Ligue 1, Round 1, Nice vs Toulouse

Nice vs Toulouse Preview

A new season is about to begin in the French first division and Nice will be taking on Toulouse in the opening match. The two teams seem to be evenly matched and even though the visitors have recorded sub-par results in the recent campaign of friendly games, the hosts are not to be underestimated. One season ago, they were among the best home teams in Ligue 1 and very little has changed during the season break.

Nice vs Toulouse Odds

At Bet365

Nice 2.65, Draw 3.10, Toulouse 2.75

Nice vs Toulouse Tips

The hosts are not big fans of offensive football, but they know how to make the most of home pitch advantage. Last season they won 10 games in front of their fans, the best record of this sort among all teams who failed to secure a place on the podium at the end of the year. Scoring goals has always been difficult for Nice and with 30 goals scored in 2013/2014, some changes are clearly necessary.

Interesting enough, manager Puel has no fewer than nine strikers to choose from but it is very likely that he will stick to his conservative starting formation. This usually features Cvitanich and Bosseti, with the former being the most prolific striker last season which is hardly a surprise since he played most games.

Tonight they will be playing against a team that seems to be in excellent form, having won four of the last six games. It is worth mentioning the fact that they did pick their opponents wisely and on all six occasions they played in front of their fans, which greatly improved their chances of emerging victorious.

They didn't change much in the starting formation, which means that Ben Yedder and Braithwaite are expected to play together upfront. Both of them are 23-year-old and they scored a lot of goals in the previous season, with Ben being tied for the second place with four other players after scoring 16 goals.

Key Facts

• Nice played four friendly games and failed to win a single match, but they played against PSG and Barcelona among other teams.
• Aurier has left Toulouse for PSG, which means that the visitors will have fewer options upfront

Nice vs Toulouse Prediction

As always, the opening round is of critical importance and both sides are fully aware of the stakes. Everyone wishes to start on the right foot, but no team will take unnecessary chances upfront, which means that punters should place a conservative bet. Given Nice's home record last season, it is worth taking a leap of faith with the hosts by placing a draw no bet wager at almost even odds with Bet365.

Bet: Nice Draw no Bet @ 1.95 with Bet365