Preview: Nimes vs. Reims - prediction, team news, lineups

Nimes take on Reims in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with the hosts in desperate need of a victory as they look to avoid relegation this season.

Reims, meanwhile, can move into the top half of the table with a win.

Match preview

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Time is running out for Nimes to escape the relegation zone this season, with Pascal Plancque's side four points behind 17th-placed Lorient with only four matches remaining.

Having stunned league leaders Lille with a 2-1 victory prior to March's international break, Les Crocodiles' hopes of survival looked realistic.

However, a winless run of four matches since has seen the odds become stacked against them, especially after falling to a 2-1 defeat to ten-man Lens last weekend.

Indeed, despite losing Issiaga Sylla to a straight red card in the 24th-minute, Europa League qualification contenders Lens secured a dramatic victory via Massadio Haidara's 76th-minute winner, with Nimes missing out on a golden opportunity to increase their chances of remaining in Ligue 1 next season.

Even a win against Reims on Sunday would not take them outside of the relegation zone, but it would almost certainly keep their chances firmly alive heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

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Reims, meanwhile, have enjoyed another solid season under David Guion, with the 53-year-old hoping to guide the club to a third successive top-half finish in Ligue 1.

Like Nimes, a winless run of four matches has not helped those aims, but Metz - who currently occupy 10th place, two points ahead of Reims - are on an even worse winless run of seven league matches, so there is certainly a window of opportunity there if Reims can get some wins on the board between now and the end of the season.

Nathanael Mbuku's first-half opener against Marseille last time out looked like extending Reims' unbeaten run to an impressive 10 matches, but Dimitri Payet and Arkadiusz Milik flipped the match on its head shortly after. Wout Faes's second-half red card left Guion's side no hope of mounting a comeback as their unbeaten run finally came to an end.

Should Metz's winless run continue at Dijon on Sunday, Reims are guaranteed to end the weekend in the top half of the table providing they beat Nimes. There is plenty of motivation for them left yet, then.

Team News

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Nimes are likely to remain without Andres Cubas, Anthony Briancon and Clement Depres due to injury, but the trio could return before the end of the season.

Pablo Martinez, however, has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign due to a knee injury.

Reims, meanwhile, will travel to Nimes without the suspended Faes after his red card against Marseille last weekend. Dario Maresic is likely to replace him at centre-back.

Valon Berisha is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Ghislain Konan and Mathieu Cafaro are unlikely to be risked due to knee and foot issues respectively.

Nimes possible starting lineup:
Reynet; Alakouch, Guessoum, Miguel, Meling; Ripart, Fomba, Sarr, Deaux, Ferhat; Kone

Reims possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Doucoure, Maresic, Abdelhamid, Foket; Dia, Lopy, Cassama, Chavalerin, Mbuku; Toure

We say: Nimes 1-1 Reims

We can envisage Reims drawing their 15th league match of the season on Sunday, with a point frustrating Nimes in their efforts to escape relegation.

There is little time remaining for Plancque's side to escape the drop, so expect them to go all out for the win.