Despite good intentions, the team from Nice couldn’t collect any points against the Dogues (0-1) and have dropped to 15th place in the standings, with a 3-point lead over the relegation zone. Lacking a positive outcome from tonight’s match, the crowd celebrated the Gambardella victory with its young players during the break.
A holdup? No, not really. But it is true that this 1-0 score in favor of Lille may leave a bitter taste for the determined Nice team, still searching for points to secure their league position. Unfortunately, the early goal conceded by the locals proved fatal. In the 6th minute, Hazard on the left wing got past Gomis, who was playing in a five-man defense. A dribble, a feint, everything was executed… until a cross for De Melo, in the center of the box, who beat Ospina easily. To think that just minutes before, a two-on-two opportunity for Nice might have been successful if the pass had been timely.
Nice had to chase the score. Unlike the match at Geoffroy Guichard, the 5-4-1 tactical arrangement wasn’t altered… nor was the score. This decision is understandable, as this setup had been tested in Valenciennes, and on the field the players weren’t being outplayed. Encourage from the stands grew as Lille tried to slow down the game.
But Nice wasn’t fooled. Monzon successfully found Dja Djédjé deep down the field, but Mouloungui couldn’t control the ball in the box. Despite good runs down this left wing, the Eagles were never in an ideal position to seriously threaten Landreau.
De Melo sent a return pass to Roux in a one-two. The former Brest player saw an opening in the middle of a defense that spread like the Red Sea, but it stopped firmly at Ospina’s feet. Meanwhile, Gomis tried to make amends with a fine shot under the crossbar, well saved by Landreau. By halftime, De Melo had scored from his only shot, leaving nothing else to be said.
The referee trio, the first back on the field, were greeted with whistles. However, Lille had received two yellow cards to none for Nice, a fact notable for its rarity.
After the break, Nice still leaned to the left, and Basa protected yet another deep ball well. Not sanctioned by the referee for a defense deemed too physical by the crowd, a fan took it upon himself to seek justice. The Lille defender was hit by a projectile, reportedly earphones, and stayed down. (47′) Then Mouloungui and Dja Djédjé interfered with each other in the air. On a very good cross, one tried a bicycle kick, the other headed the ball… which ended up being too weak as a result (49′).
Nice didn’t give up and increased the pace: effective recovery, rapid forward projection. There was very little waste, and Lille played cautiously, even cycling the ball in their half when necessary. Grandin came close with a sliding challenge to beat Landreau to a low cross (58′), but the ball went wide of the goal. All field players from Lille warmed up on the bench, but it was eventually Payet who replaced Roux (64′), the only change for Lille. René Marsiglia, seeing the lack of results, took advantage of his team’s dominance to incorporate the young recruit from Les Verts, Bahoken, who replaced Sablé.
Players from both teams spent most of their time on the ground, Lille to waste time, Nice most likely to draw more attention from the referee. Just as when Mouloungui, held back, managed to deflect a header with difficulty, but failed to find his teammate, Duhamel did not call the foul back. Later, Gomis was tripped in the box by Beria while attempting his volley, yet the referee team remained silent.
The Nice fans found yet another common scapegoat, Abriel, who was literally booed when he entered. Two minutes later, he lost the ball in the box. The last major scare for Nice came from a swift northern attack, but the defense remained calm. Lille missed the chance to seal the game, with Balmont being offside, providing some respite for a besieged Nice side. The end of the match saw both teams taking turns countering each other. The last big opportunity came from Monzon, from 23 meters out on the right, but his missile was just slightly over, despite perfectly passing around the wall (83′).
There is reason to be optimistic for the upcoming matches, considering the content, and the crowd seems to understand it. Lille played wisely and got the job done, as a champion would, one might say, despite being 5 points behind Montpellier. Regardless, the fight against relegation will continue with the support of the 12th man for OGC Nice.
by Ismaël Paredes
