Unbeaten Nice welcome leaders Brest to the Allianz Riviera on Sunday afternoon as the two sides serve up a surprise top-of-the-table clash in Ligue 1.

The hosts extended their hot streak with a 1-0 victory over Monaco last time out, while the visitors retained top spot with a 1-0 win against Lyon.

Match preview

With six matches in the books, only two teams - Nice and Rennes - are yet to taste defeat in Ligue 1 this season, but while Rennes have recorded one win and five draws, Les Aiglons have picked up three victories and three draws to take 12 points from a possible 18.

When Nice started their campaign with successive draws against Lille, Lorient and Lyon, fans of the club could have been forgiven for doubting new manager Francesco Farioli, but the 34-year-old Italian has since announced himself to French football.

Following a dominant 2-0 victory over Strasbourg, Nice secured a memorable 3-2 win against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes before defeating Monaco 1-0 last time out, courtesy of a sublime solo goal from Jeremie Boga in the 91st minute.

Having conceded just four goals in six games - keeping three clean sheets for good measure - Les Aiglons also boast the best defensive record in the division, so Farioli's men will be confident of leapfrogging their unlikely top-two rivals on Sunday.

Brest avoided relegation in dramatic fashion last season by winning three of their final four matches to steer clear of the drop zone at the eleventh hour, but after six games this term, the Pirates find themselves at the Ligue 1 summit.

In fact, Brest are the only team to have picked up four Ligue 1 victories this season, recording one draw and one defeat in the process, so Eric Roy's boys sit one point clear of second-placed Nice thanks to a remarkable start to the 2023-24 campaign.

After kicking off their campaign with successive wins over Lens and Le Havre, the Brittany outfit suffered a 2-0 defeat against Marseille, but they have since taken seven points from a possible nine, drawing with Rennes before beating Reims and Lyon.

Despite dominating proceedings on home soil, the Pirates left it late to claim all three points last weekend, with former Huddersfield Town striker Steve Mounie scoring the only goal of the game in the 87th minute to maintain his side's lead atop the table.

Team News

Nice are still without injured forward Alexis Claude-Maurice, who is yet to feature for the club this season, while 19-year-old defender Antoine Mendy remains sidelined, meaning that Jordan Lotomba will continue to operate at right-back.

Lotomba will be joined by Jean-Clair Todibo, Dante and Melvin Bard in Nice's trusted back four, with Aston Villa loanee Morgan Sanson and Youssouf Ndayishimiye joining highly-rated youngster Khephren Thuram in a three-man midfield.

Having chalked up three goals and two assists in six appearances this season, Terem Moffi will continue to lead the line for the hosts, with Gaetan Laborde and Sofiane Diop joining the top scorer in the forward line.

On the flip side, Brest's only injury concern is midfielder Mathias Pereira Lage, who has missed the past three games due to a muscle problem, so Pierre Lees-Melou and Hugo Magnetti will continue to operate in the engine room.

Eric Roy will likely stick with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation this weekend, meaning that Uruguayan striker Martin Satriano will lead the line for the visitors, while Romain Del Castillo, Mahdi Camara and Jeremy Le Douaron will line up behind the striker.

Nice possible starting lineup:
Bulka; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Bard; Sanson, Ndayishimiye, Thuram; Laborde, Moffi, Diop

Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Brassier, Locko; Lees-Melou, Magnetti; Del Castillo, Camara, Le Douaron; Satriano

We say: Nice 2-1 Brest

We expect Nice to extend their winning streak to four matches with a hard-fought victory over Brest, who will likely fall short despite pushing the hosts all the way.

Although the Pirates have made a hugely impressive start to the season, Les Aiglons are yet to taste defeat in 2023-24, demonstrating their quality at both ends of the pitch.

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