Calendar

21 days, 6 matches

As the international break comes to an end on Saturday with the visit of Monaco, the Aiglons prepare to go from nought to sixty in September. 6 games in 21 days await Lucien Favre’s squad, including two local derbies and their entry into the group stages of the Europa League. Intense.

Nice – Monaco, 5th game of L1 (Saturday 9 September, 5pm)

The derby of the Côte will get the fixture list warmed-up. This will begin on Saturday at 5pm at the Allianz Riviera. Against the reigning champions of France, semi-finalists in the Champions League, and having had a perfect start to the season (12 points from 12), the task ahead seems difficult. But the challenge exciting…

Zulte Waregem – Nice, week 1 in the Europa League (Thursday 14, 9.05pm)

Europe will get underway after the visit of their neighbours from the principality. Following Nice – Schalke which got last season underway, the Red and Blacks will travel to Zulte-Waregem, in the aptly named stadium, ‘Arc-en-Ciel’ (Rainbow Stadium). There, they will face the most recent winner of the Coupe de Belgique, who they faced in a friendly back on 17 July 2015. The Gym fell to a 2-1 defeat that day, but nevertheless, still got a taste of Belgian football.

Rennes – Nice, 6th game of L1 (Sunday 17, 5pm)

The rhythm will pick up the pace after this first European encounter. After Belgium, the Red and Blacks will head to the far west coast of France, where an encounter against Stade Rennais awaits them. An opponent with a strong squad who, in the same way as the Aiglons, have not picked up points as they would have liked in the first games of the season (2 points after five matches) and will look to improve their performances in L1.

Nice – Angers, 7th game of L1 (Friday 22, 7pm)

The penultimate week of September sees the Aiglons face three home games, starting with the visit of Angers. In their 7th game of L1, revenge may well fill the air, given that Stéphane Moulin’s side was the only team to come and win at the Allianz in the league last season.

Nice – Vitesse Arnhem, 2nd week of the Europa League (Thursday 28, 7pm)

The Allianz ended its last Europa League experience with a victory over the Russians of Krasnodar: and it will find itself in the competition once again 9 months later, when Arnhem visit. Vitesse, the current holder of the Dutch domestic cup, will face Lazio and then Ajax just before heading to the Comté.

Nice – OM, 8th game of L1 (Sunday 1 October, 9pm)

Starting with a clash against the men from the Rock, the 3 weeks will come to an end with another derby, against their neighbours from Marseille. The Phocéens will travel to the Plaine du Var just ahead of the international break, after passing through the same intense period as the Aiglons. Including, what they went through ahead of the official start of the league, given that they both played in two preliminary rounds in order to secure their place in the Europa League.  

C.D.