Lens finished 2ndin Ligue 1 this season, 14 places and 38 points ahead of Nice (16
th).
Beaten finalists on three separate occasions, Lens have never won the Coupe de France in the club’s history.
Recommended bet: Lens to win and both teams to score
Lens will be aiming to cap an excellent domestic campaign in fitting style when they take on Nice in the 2025/26 Coupe de France Final on Friday, 22nd May at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Pierre Sage’s Lens finished in a lofty second spot in Ligue 1 this term, pushing eventual title winners and Champions League finalists PSG all the way to the climactic weeks of the season, though Friday’s Final gives Les Sang et Or a second shot at silverware.
For Nice, this week’s final comes with complications. Les Aiglons finished in the relegation playoff position in the league and face the first leg of a crucial double-header with St. Etienne just four days after their showpiece encounter with Lens. With their Ligue 1 status and financial future under serious threat, Nice must decide where their priorities lie.
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Lens vs Nice team news
Veteran Lens Jonathan Gradit hasn’t featured since November and remains sidelined here, while fellow defender Samson Baidoo missed Sunday’s win over Lyon with a minor issue and remains a slight doubt.
Lens thumped Lyon 4-0 on the final day of the Ligue 1 campaign, with front three, Wesley Said, Florian Thauvin and Florian Sotoca all shining in that triumph. Head Coach Pierre Sage is likely to keep faith with the same XI on Friday.
For Nice, Moise Bombito, Mohamed Abdelmonem and Youssouf Ndayishimiye are all nursing issues and are unlikely to be involved. Fullback Melvin Bard missed the 0-0 draw with Metz at the weekend through suspension, though he is free to play on Friday.
Nice boss Claude Puel is certain to be fretting over his team selection process, with next week's relegation playoff fixtures against St. Etienne perhaps more critical than Friday's Final.
Lens vs Nice stats
Lens have managed to win only one of the last eight encounters with Nice (D3, L4), though they did come close to completing the league double over their opponents this season.
Lens beat Nice 2-0 in December thanks to a brace from Odsonne Edouard and they were 1-0 up on the Riviera in May’s return fixture before Saud Abdulhamid’s 81st-minute red card turned the game on its head, allowing Nice’s Ali Abdi to snatch a late equaliser.
Nice have lost only one of their last seven games in league and cup, though five of those contests did end in stalemate. Les Aiglons did managed to upset the odds to beat a fancied Strasbourg outfit (2-0) in the Coupe de France semi-finals.
Lens’ 2-0 reverse to Ligue 1 title rivals PSG on May 13th was their only loss in their previous seven matches. They blitzed Toulouse 4-1 in their cup semi-final test in a display that highlighted their attacking power. Lens have scored 3+ goals in four of their last seven assignments.
Indeed, Lens had three players (Edouard, Said & Thauvin) on double-figure goals in Ligue 1 for the 2025/26 season, while Nice had none.
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Lens vs Nice Prediction
By almost every conceivable metric, Lens seem to have the edge on Nice and it’s hard to disagree with the prices that make Les Sang et Or odds-on favourites to triumph in Friday’s Coupe de France Final.
Emboldened by their fantastic second-place finish in Ligue 1, Lens enjoyed a further confidence boost when they cantered to an impressive 4-0 win at Lyon on Sunday, and they can flex their considerable attacking muscle again at the Stade de France.
The chance to land the first Coupe de France in the club’s entire history adds an extra layer of motivation for this talented Lens squad and we expect them to claim the silverware that their football this season has deserved.
For Nice, the first leg of their relegation playoff, which arrives quickly after Friday’s final on Tuesday evening, is a massive distraction and could eat into their cup final focus.
However, Nice did show a nose for the big occasion when seeing off Strasbourg in the semis, and they also managed to score goals in tough games against Marseille and Friday’s opponents Lens in the closing weeks of the Ligue 1 campaign.
That suggests a consolation goal might be in the offing for Nice, though Lens’ superior firepower should eventually tell. With that in mind, bettors are advised to combine a Lens win with BTTS.
Score Prediction – Lens 3-1 Nice
More Lens vs Nice predictions and recommended bets
Recommended bet | Stat |
Over 2.5 goals – 4/6 | Nine of Lens’s last 12 fixtures in all competitions have featured over 2.5 goals |
Florian Thauvin to score or assist – 19/20 | Lens attacker Thauvin has chipped in with seven goal contributions (4G, 3A) in his last eight appearances in league and cup. |
Lens -1.0 goal handicap – 6/4 | Lens beat Lyon 4-0 on Sunday and they’ve scored 3+ times in four of their last seven fixtures overall. |
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Lens vs Nice will be played on Friday, 22nd May 2026 at 20:00
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