Nice vs Real Sociedad Prediction: Guessand to translate form onto European stage

OGC Nice host Real Sociedad at the Allianz Riviera on Wednesday (20:00, TNT Sports 3) for their Europa League opener. The home side will be in high spirits after thrashing St-Etienne 8-0 in Ligue 1 on Friday, in which six players got on the scoresheet.

Real Sociedad will be feeling slightly nervous heading here as they are not in the best of form. The Spanish outfit are winless in their last five outings in La Liga, and goals have been pretty hard to come by for Imanol Alguacil's team. Read on for my Nice vs Real Sociedad prediction, including match odds and team news.

Nice vs Real Sociedad Odds

Nice are 7/5 to win this match, giving them an implied probability of 41.7%. Real Sociedad are 11/5 to take the three points, which gives them a theoretical chance of 31.3%. The draw can be backed at 2/1 (33.3%).

Both teams to score is on offer at 1/1 and over 2.5 goals is available at 11/8.

Borussia Dortmund loanee Youssoufa Moukoko netted a brace on Friday and the forward is 11/4 to score anytime in this clash.

Football Odds

Team News 

The hosts are without winger Gaetan Laborde for this match after the 30-year-old broke his foot earlier in the season. Former Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson is also in the medical bay as he recovers from an ankle problem he picked up in August, as is Jeremie Boga with a shin issue.

Winger Evann Guessand is the club's top scorer in the league with three goals. He looks set to have a big role to play in Les Aiglons' attack on Wednesday night. After Friday's blitzing display, manager Franck Haise could opt to name the same side that dismantled St-Etienne, which does include former Tottenham Hotspur flop Tanguy Ndombele, who looks to have been given a lease of new life in the south of France.

For Real Sociedad, a recall to the starting lineup could be on the cards for Mikel Oyarzabal, the scorer of Spain's Euro 2024-winning goal against England in July. Their only major injury concern is Hamari Traore, who has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Nice to win @ 7/5

Friday's eight-goal showing has given Nice a lot to live up to for their first Europa League fixture on home soil, but luckily for them they are facing a side who just cannot seem to buy a win at the moment.

Real Sociedad currently find themselves one point above the relegation zone, which is a star contrast to what they have been used to in recent years, with the White and Blues constantly finishing in the top six for the past three campaigns. You have to go back a month for their last and only league win this term, which ended 1-0 away to Espanyol.

This start feels similar to what we saw from Sevilla last year and interestingly enough they are just one place above them in the table with the same number of points. The most troubling thing surrounding Real Sociedad is that they look toothless. Three goals from six games is deeply concerning, and that isn't going to be troubling Nice ahead of this fixture.

Nice now have 14 from five games in Ligue 1 and only two sides have scored more (Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille). On current form, the hosts should win this game fairly comfortably, I'm not sure it will be anything like their last match, but I do think they will come away with the win.

Evann Guessand anytime goalscorer @ 3/1

As Nice's leading scorer so far this season, it feels only right to back Guessand to get on the scoresheet here. His latest came on Friday so he will be feeling confident ahead of facing another team that have had a troubling start to the season.

The young Ivorian has been a nuisance for all the full-backs he has come up against in 2024/25 and I think Real Sociedad's Jon Aramburu is going to be in for a very long evening in a bid to try and keep him quiet.

Guessand's pace and trickery allows him to get into some excellent positions, as does his movement off the ball. He will be hoping to profit from Real Sociedad's lack of confidence and I think he can find the back of the net again.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any EFL Cup or Europa League game on Wednesday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Thursday’s Europa League games.

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