Nice vs Lorient Prediction & Betting Tips (22 February)

Nice welcome Lorient to the Allianz Riviera in Ligue 1 with both sides hovering around the congested middle of the table and looking for a result that can nudge their season in a clearer direction. Francesco Farioli’s team have tightened up slightly after a shaky autumn, drawing 1-1 with Strasbourg and then grinding out a goalless home stalemate against Monaco in early February, a result that at least stopped the bleeding defensively. Lorient, meanwhile, arrive after a mixed start to 2026: they were beaten 2-0 away at Brest in their last league outing but had previously pieced together a useful unbeaten run, so confidence is dented rather than shattered before this trip to the Côte d’Azur.

Recent Nice performances suggest a side still searching for balance between control and cutting edge. At the start of January they had to come from behind to earn a battling 1-1 draw at home to Strasbourg, with Elye Wahi again showing his importance in the final third. A week later, in the Coupe de France, they edged Nantes on penalties after another tight 1-1 over ninety minutes, underlining both their resilience and their ongoing struggle to kill games off. Even looking back to last season’s emphatic 6-0 demolition of Brest at the Allianz Riviera, archived under 6-0, you sense the home crowd still expect more attacking fluency than they have seen in recent weeks.

Lorient’s recent league story has been one of stubborn competitiveness, even when they have not always taken maximum points. Régis Le Bris’s men claimed a statement home win over Lyon thanks to a narrow 1-0 scoreline in December, and they followed that with a gritty away draw at Strasbourg, where neither side could find a breakthrough in a tense 0-0. To start the new year they showed character again, coming from behind to secure a 1-1 home draw against Metz, with Bamba Dieng on target. That sequence, combined with their recent defeat at Brest, paints a picture of a team that is hard to beat, carries a threat in transition, but can still be vulnerable when forced to chase the game.

All of this sets up a nuanced tactical battle on the Riviera, with Nice likely to dominate possession and Lorient content to sit in their compact 3-4-2-1 shape and spring forward through the likes of Pagis or Dieng when space appears. Nice’s recent home draws show they can control territory without always turning it into goals, yet Lorient’s defensive lapses away from home suggest chances will come if Wahi and Diop are sharp enough between the lines. With both sides having shared the points several times in recent weeks, another tight contest feels inevitable, but the combination of Nice’s home advantage and Lorient’s occasional fragility under sustained pressure nudges this preview toward a narrow 2-1 correct score in favour of the hosts.

• Summary: Nice is going head to head with Lorient starting on 22 Feb 2026 at 16:15 UTC at Allianz Riviera stadium, Nice city, France. The match is a part of the Ligue 1 .
• Nice Feedinco Rating: 6.73
• Lorient Feedinco Rating: 6.78