From the start of the match, the Nice players show themselves to be dangerous and Mouloungui, well served by Hellebuyck, is very close to opening the scoring, and only Genton’s intervention prevents the Lorient team from starting off on the wrong foot. Tit for tat, and it’s Letizi who displays his talent, perfectly stopping an attempt by the Gamero-Abriel pair. The match is truly on its way. Cyril Rool, once again omnipresent, makes a deep pass to Mouloungui, who unleashes a beautiful left-foot shot that just misses the goal guarded by Joinel. The Nice team step up their game and earn a good free kick after a foul from the Cannes-born Lorient player, Hamed Namouchi. David Hellebuyck takes the responsibility but misses his shot, which nevertheless finds Olivier Echouafni, who beats Alban Joinel with a strike that catches him off guard. A goal opening that leaves the Yves Allainmat Stadium unresponsive. Kevin Gameiro tries to outmaneuver the Nice defense but Lionel Letizi is vigilant and perfectly stops the young Lorient striker’s attempts. Ruddy Buquet then sends both teams to the locker room, with a logical advantage for the Nice team, who control the game and their skills.
At halftime, Marama Vahirua joins his new and old teammates and quickly makes his presence felt, albeit for a foul committed on him by Apam, earning the Nice defender a yellow card. This is followed by uneventful minutes where Hellebuyck comes close to the Lorient goal with another shot while Apam stops a good incursion from Morel, who is ready to put his team back on track. The coaches then decide to inject fresh blood into their teams, starting a round of substitutions. Christian Gourcuff brings in Ewolo and Ayew, replacing Mansouri and Amalfitano, while the red and black coach substitutes Faรฉ with Ben Saada and a few minutes later, Mouloungui for Modeste.
With only 20 minutes left to play, the Azurean players know they are making a good move by maintaining the score, but the Lorient team does not want to be caught easily, and Vahirua is causing more and more problems for the Nice defense, leading to another yellow card for Diakitรฉ, who has no choice but to foul the lively Tahitian. The two Nice substitutes show their legs, Ben Saada serving Modeste, but it’s ultimately Joinel who prevails in the confrontation with the Nice striker. With only a few minutes left on the scoreboard, Antonetti’s squad is very close to completing a mission that, while not impossible, was not clear at all. Another Lorient incursion with Morel finding Ayew, but Lionel Letizi is vigilant and controls the header from the Lorient player. The additional time is announced for the next three minutes, and it’s the Nice players who remain dangerous with Modeste attempting an incursion into the area but finding Genton in his way. The Nice striker tumbles, but Ruddy Buquet will not call for the supreme penalty. A last attempt for Diakitรฉ who launches Modeste, only to be rewarded with a corner that ultimately yields nothing. The final whistle finally blows!
An excellent away victory for the “Aiglons” who will host Crรฉteil in the League Cup on Tuesday before welcoming Nantes in the championship the following Saturday. No doubt, the morale of the Nice troops is high, with this sixth unbeaten match and a provisional fourth place in the Ligue 1 standings, pending results from Rennes in Saint Etienne and Lille on the move in Paris. One might almost become a temporary supporter of Saint Etienne and Paris just for one Sunday.
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