After the cruel disappointment of the match against Le Havre and dressed in their new red and black kit, the eaglets were determined not to miss their chance for this first meeting on the hill of Ray, which hosted nearly 12,000 spectators at a time, 7 PM, more “aperitif” than Ligue 1 match. And as if to prove their determination, it was the locals who struck first with Mouloungui, who picked up a good cross from Jeunechamp with his right foot, although his attempt only found the outside of the goal post guarded by Bracigliano. The contest was thus launched in the best way, and the Nancy players timidly tried to resurface with Bérenguer, who sent a long-range strike wide of Letizi’s goal. Confidence built up with play, as Pablo Correa’s men tried to press their opponent by focusing on the left side but without much success, while the half-hour of play still showed a scoreless draw. But who seeks, finds! Loïc Remy, showing courage at the spearhead of Nice’s attack for several minutes, was finally rewarded for his efforts with a superb goal following a right hook that left his defender behind before unleashing a clear-cut shot that ended its course under Bracigliano’s crossbar. The score was opened, and the hard work seemed to be done for the Nice team, who could have even increased their lead through the same Remy, but his diving header was met by the Nancy goalkeeper. We were heading calmly towards halftime when, following a not-so-obvious foul by Jeunechamp on Fortuné, the evening’s referee, Saïd Enjimi, blew a harsh penalty, allowing Gavanon to outwit Letizi and bring both teams back to equal footing just before the locker room return.
The second half resumed at a slower pace, with each team trying not to be exposed to avoid conceding a second goal that could mean defeat. Fouls were more frequent in midfield, and the challenges much tougher, resulting in a more disjointed game. The Nice supporters even demanded two penalties for challenges in the box by Hadji on Hellebuyck and Ouaddou on Faé, but Mr. Ennjimi remained unmoved. Youssouf Hadji tried to rally his teammates, but his efforts were in vain as the minutes continued to tick away on the new scoreboard at Ray.
Frédéric Antonetti then decided to implement his coaching by replacing Hognon, who was celebrating his 34th birthday, with Yahia at the start of the last quarter-hour of play. The phases of play were less decisive, and each team seemed content with this draw, which didn’t benefit the eaglets. With just 10 minutes left to play, the island coach played his last card by making his final substitution, bringing Mahamane Traoré in for Faé. There was just enough time for the Nice crowd to catch their breath after a beautiful header from Hadji, impeccably stopped by Letizi, before Loïc Remy switched from scorer to provider, offering a goal ball to Traoré, who demonstrated the good tactical insight of Antonetti’s coaching by sending the leather into the net of Bracigliano. It was a providential first Ligue 1 goal for the young Malian native of Bamako, giving his team a well-deserved victory.
Three points in the bag before going to Auxerre next Sunday and hosting Valenciennes on August 30, it took nothing more for the celebration to be complete last night at the Ray stadium.
