The match had started quite poorly with a rather quick goal from Toulouse’s Beauguel, giving his team the lead after just ten minutes of play. But that did not account for the determination of Eric Roy’s red and black group, which responded by turning the match around, notably thanks to a superb goal from Mounier that sends the Aiglons to the round of 16 of the Coupe de la Ligue.
After three mixed results, the Nice team had come to Toulouse with the firm intention of achieving “something”. And although the goal from Toulouse dampened the spirits of the Azurens, it also sparked a revolt in the red and black camp. Indeed, trailing in the score, the Nice team found the energy needed to quickly trouble the Toulouse defense, even recovering some good counter-play balls like the one again given to Beauguel, who this time could do no better than hit Fernandez’s post.
The play was rather in favor of the Nice team, and after thirty minutes of play, they were stringing together attempts. It was on a well-taken free-kick by Mounier that Civelli, a head above the Toulouse defense, sent the ball into the back of Riou’s net for a well-deserved equalizer for Nice. Nothing more would be scored in the final minutes of play, and it was quite a logical draw that the two teams returned to their locker rooms with.
Not all the spectators had returned from the snack break when a thunderous shot, nicknamed Mounier, rang out in a stunned stadium. One of the most active Aiglons in the first half sent a clear volley from over 25 meters out, under the crossbar of a helpless Riou, to give OGC Nice the advantage at the start of the second half. The Toulousains could only observe the damage just like on Saturday against PSG and could even have seen the score worsen if Dja Djédjé’s attempt had found more than just one of Riou’s posts. The time for changes has now come, and Dja Djédjé and Palun leave their places to Meriem and Hellebuyck. Toulouse pressed in the final minutes but to no avail, even though Cakin had the equalizing ball at the end of his shot but Raul Fernandez, Nice’s guardian angel for an evening, thwarted the last Toulouse action.
OGC Nice certainly did the job and can now get back to work for the resumption of the championship, which will see the Aiglons traveling to Paris and Montpellier and hosting the island neighbors from Ajaccio.
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