Basel vs Nice Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, predicted line-ups

Basel and Nice meet in their UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg on Thursday 13 April.

Where to watch Basel vs Nice

Fans can find their local UEFA Europa Conference League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

Basel were knocked out by Marseille in the round of 16 last season and they will have to be at their best to avoid back-to-back eliminations at the hands of French opponents when they take on improving Nice. Les Aiglons have been excellent since mid-January, striding up the Ligue 1 table and making light work of Sheriff in the last 16. Basel, who have two ex-Nice men in their ranks in Andy Pelmard and Dan Ndoye, scraped through against Slovan Bratislava and are enduring their worst domestic campaign of this millennium.

Predicted line-ups

Basel: Hitz; Lang, Adams, Pelmard, López; Ndoye, Diouf, Xhaka, Amdouni; Fink, Zeqiri
Misses next match if booked: Calafiori, Comas, Fink, López, Xhaka, Zeqiri

Nice: Schmeichel; Ndayishimiye, Todibo, Dante; Mendy, Ramsey, Boudaoui, Thuram, Bard; Moffi, Laborde
Misses next match if booked: Boudaoui

Form guide

Basel
Form (all competitions, most recent first): DLWLWD
Where they stand: 4th in Swiss Super League

Nice
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LDDWDW
Where they stand: 9th in French Ligue 1

Expert prediction

Andy Smith, match reporter
Basel and Nice have endured frustration on the domestic scene this season, underlined by the fact that they both had a change of manager earlier this year. Heiko Vogel and Didier Digard have steadied the ship since coming in on an interim basis, but there's no doubt that a historic victory in the Europa Conference League would put a very different shine on their campaigns. Basel will be hoping that home advantage can give them an edge on Thursday in what looks to be an evenly matched, competitive first tie between the clubs.

View from the camps

Heiko Vogel, interim Basel coach: "We are up against a very strong opponent. They have only lost a few games in the last few months. They have to be seen as the favourites. Nice don't give much away. They defend very consistently and in a disciplined manner. It's hard for any opponent to score against them. They also have attacking qualities and are always good for a goal."

Andy Pelmard, Nice-born Basel defender: "The game against Nice will be very special for me, but nothing changes in terms of my approach. My family won't be at the home game, but will be there for the second leg. Nice play intense football, but we are ready for that. They are definitely the best side we have faced in this campaign."

Dan Ndoye, Basel forward: “It's a special match for me and Andy Pelmard because we played for Nice. We will prepare as best we can to get to the next round. Nice are in good shape, but so are we, so I wouldn't say either side were favourites.”

Didier Digard, Nice coach: "In terms of geography, this is the best possible draw. The nicest thing is that the second leg at home. Once you are in the quarter-finals, all the remaining teams are quality. It's nice that we will get to see some former Nice players."

What happens next?

The second leg takes place on 20 April, with the winners advancing to the semi-finals, where they will face the victors of the Lech vs Fiorentina tie.

The Eden Arena (pictured above) in Prague, Czechia, will host this season's Europa Conference League final on 7 June 2023.