OGC Nice have been quite impressive in Ligue 1 this season.
They are currently sixth in the Ligue 1 table from 11 wins, eight draws, and nine losses just behind Reims albeit with the same amount of points (41 points).
What makes this more impressive is that the side, currently managed by former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, have been using a very young squad.
In fact, Nice actually have the youngest average age in the league at 23.7-years-old, while bottom-of-the-table Toulouse and fifth-placed Reims trail with an average age of 24.1 and 24.2 each.
Vieira came in to take charge of Les Aiglons in the 2018/19 season, replacing Lucien Favre who left for Borussia Dortmund.
The former France international gained plaudits when he joined Nice as he introduced a free-flowing attacking game.
His philosophy relies on flexibility in the game and its something that makes his team very hard to contain.
His teams performance in the first season was certainly not bad as they finished eighth in the Ligue 1 table, again, with the youngest squad in the league (average age of 21.8).
This season, Vieira certainly wants to aim higher, looking to finish in a European spot.
In this tactical analysis, well take a look at the tactics behind Vieiras success this season at Nice alongside potential vulnerabilities that may come with his tactics and philosophy.
Patrick Vieira Formations
This season Vieira mainly employs a 4-1-4-1 formation along with its variations (4-3-3, 4-5-1).
Often, Vieira tweaks the formation a little and uses a variation of 4-4-1-1 which can also be 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 on paper.
Its also not rare to see
