Match Information
Match Overview
Matchday 4 of Ligue 1's Regular Season brings together two sides already looking anxiously at the table, as Auxerre host Nice with both clubs sitting in the bottom half - Auxerre 18th and Nice 15th. With the season still taking shape, this early fixture carries weight for two teams looking to arrest concerning trends before the gap to safety grows.
The primary storyline here is form, and it heavily favors neither side, but Auxerre's is markedly worse. W. Still's side have lost all three of their league fixtures so far, conceding freely in each: a 3-1 defeat at Lyon on September 4, a 1-3 home loss to Angers on August 29, and a chastening 5-2 away defeat to Lens on August 22. That is nine goals conceded in three matches, a defensive record that will concern Still as his side prepare to host a Nice team that, while winless, has at least shown defensive solidity. Nice under O. Pantaloni have drawn two and lost one, including a 1-1 draw with Le Mans on September 5 and a goalless stalemate against Lorient on August 22, though they were beaten 3-0 by Paris FC on August 30.
Squad availability is a notable point in this preview: neither team reports any injury absentees, meaning both managers can select from full-strength squads and lineup selection will come down to tactical preference rather than enforced changes.
With Auxerre winless and leaking goals at an alarming rate, and Nice yet to find their first victory of the campaign, this early-season meeting represents a genuine opportunity for either side to kickstart their league form.
Predicted Lineups
Auxerre
M. Diop; L. Sy, C. Makosso, E. Legros, C. Akpa; K. Danois, A. Piedfort, D. Namaso, N. Ahamada, R. Labeau Lascary; C. Archer
Nice
Y. Diouf; Mohamed Abdelmonem, Y. Ndayishimiye, X. Mandza Tsiendi; J. Clauss, D. Coulibaly, A. Witsel, N. Nkounkou, N. Ngoumou, S. Diop; E. Wahi
Team Form Analysis
Auxerre
League Position: 18Auxerre Form Analysis
Auxerre's start to the Ligue 1 campaign has been troubling on every front. Three matches, three defeats, and a goal difference that paints a stark picture of the issues facing W. Still's side. The 5-2 collapse away at Lens on August 22 set an uneasy tone, followed by a 1-3 home reverse against Angers on August 29 that will have been particularly hard to take in front of their own supporters. The 3-1 loss at Lyon on September 4 continued the pattern of defensive fragility, with Auxerre having now conceded nine goals in three league outings. Attacking output has been present, with goals in every match, but it has been consistently outweighed by defensive lapses. The quality of opposition faced - Lens, Angers, and Lyon - represents a testing opening set of fixtures, but the manner of the defeats, rather than simply the results, will be the greater concern heading into this Matchday 4 fixture against Nice.
Nice
League Position: 15Nice Form Analysis
Nice's opening weeks under O. Pantaloni have been defined by defensive resilience rather than attacking fluency. Two draws and a defeat leave them without a win, but the underlying numbers tell a more balanced story than Auxerre's. A goalless draw with Lorient on August 22 was followed by a 3-0 defeat away at Paris FC on August 30, their only loss of the sequence, before a 1-1 draw at home to Le Mans on September 5 saw them share the spoils. Goals have been hard to come by, with just one league goal scored across the three matches, highlighting an attacking unit still searching for rhythm. Defensively, aside from the Paris FC setback, Nice have shown organization, keeping clean sheets in two of three outings. For Pantaloni, translating defensive stability into results will be the priority as his side look to open their winning account.
Head-to-Head
Auxerre
Nice
Recent Meetings
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-10 | Auxerre | 2 - 1 | Nice |
| 2025-08-23 | Nice | 3 - 1 | Auxerre |
| 2025-03-14 | Nice | 1 - 1 | Auxerre |
| 2024-08-18 | Auxerre | 2 - 1 | Nice |
| 2024-01-06 | Nice | 0 - 0 4-2 pens | Auxerre |
| 2023-03-03 | Nice | 1 - 1 | Auxerre |
| 2022-10-16 | Auxerre | 1 - 1 | Nice |
| 2018-10-31 | Nice | 3 - 2 | Auxerre |
| 2012-04-21 | Nice | 1 - 0 | Auxerre |
| 2011-12-11 | Auxerre | 2 - 1 | Nice |
Memorable Matches
The history between these two clubs stretches back over a decade and has produced tightly contested affairs. The most recent meeting on 2026-05-10 saw Auxerre edge out Nice 2-1, continuing a fixture that has rarely been decided by more than a single goal. The August 23, 2025 encounter went the other way, with Nice winning 3-1, one of the more comprehensive results in the recent sequence. Multiple draws feature throughout the head-to-head record, including a 1-1 scoreline on 2025-03-14 and again on 2023-03-03, underlining how evenly matched these two sides have historically been across different eras and squads.
Venue Factor
With the venue for this fixture unconfirmed, the broader context of hosting duties still carries relevance for Auxerre, who will be looking to their home supporters for a lift after a difficult start to the season that includes a home defeat to Angers on August 29. Nice, meanwhile, arrive on the back of mixed away form, having lost at Paris FC on August 30 during their run of league fixtures. Atmosphere and crowd support often matter most for a home side seeking its first points of the campaign, and Auxerre will hope backing from their fanbase can help settle a defense that has looked vulnerable in every league match so far this season.
We explore the matchup further in our read the complete preview.
Injury Concerns
Auxerre
Nice
