Completely lost on the field, the eaglets logically fell to Valenciennes (2-1). A recurring habit for Nice when playing away. Between home victories and away disasters, OGC Nice continues an incomprehensible series. A look back at a symbolic setback of a season.
One single chance and that’s it. A sad record of a lackluster performance, quickly to be forgotten. A completely off-key performance devoid of drive, technique, and cohesion. Claude Puel had much to say after this defeat that mirrored the Gym’s season. A worrying setback considering it happened against a team already facing relegation early in the championship.
A Valenciennes team that showed clear improvement but still suffered from significant deficiencies. In this match, the Niรงois had no opportunity to capitalize on these weaknesses. They also didn’t have the means. From the first minutes, the Azurean defense was attacked from all sides, sometimes saved by their goalkeeper, David Ospina, sometimes by the North attackers’ clumsiness. Nice logically bowed before halftime to a header by Doumbia alone in the middle of the penalty area.
The rest of the match mirrored its beginning. An ordeal for the red and black supporters. Without an extraordinary Ospina, OGC Nice could have left with a downpour of goals in their baggage. Reality might have also been different following Maupay’s equalizer at the end of the match. But the football gods decided to be fair to the Northerners. Dominant and far superior, Jacobs’ men snatched the three points two minutes from the end with the new recruit Waris. Cruel timing for the Eaglets but so logical in the game’s context.
From this match, one will remember Digard’s injury and Dario Cvitanich’s new goalless game. The Argentine striker, substituted in the second half, appeared without solutions and without creativity at the forefront of the attack. The recent strong performances of the two young players, Bosetti (suspended last night) and Maupay, could prompt Claude Puel to rethink his offensive strategies. Unsettling questions arise a few days before the derby against Monaco in the French Cup.
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