Defeated in the first leg of the semi-final on Saturday in Poitiers (2-3), the team from Nice must win this Wednesday (8 PM) to still have hopes of reaching the final in the capital. Mladen Kasic’s men came close to an upset and, as usual, can rely on their Palmeira supporters.
They have no other choice. A victory would earn NVB a decider match this weekend in Poitiers (Sunday late afternoon). A defeat, and the Nice team will be on vacation, returning for a new season in Ligue B. Poitiers stands as the heavyweight in this second division, but the team from Nice has proven this season that they are capable of anything. In the championship, in the first leg, Nice was defeated 3-1 before winning the return match 3-0 on Poitiers’ home ground. So anything is possible.
The long-term absence of Ristic will still weigh heavily, although the contributions of Bersani Da Costa and Falafala have been noteworthy since the second half of the season. In the first leg, the team from Nice believed in the upset for a good part of the match. A first set controlled (25-18) before faltering in the second set’s money time (30-28). What followed was a back-and-forth with Poitiers taking the lead 2-1 (25-20 in the 3rd set), then NVB found the resources to push for a tie-break (26-24 in the 4th set). But for the first time this season, the team from the Azure Coast had to concede the tie-break (15-12).
“We are ready and excited. We will need the public to win matches if the score is tight,” says captain Mitrovic on the club’s website.
As often this season, Aleksandar Mitrovic led his team with 25 points. Tonight, the duo Mitrovic-Nenchev should be closely watched by Poitiers, motivated by the idea of winning the French championship title along with the already secured promotion thanks to their first place in the regular season. The spark could well come from Bruckert, omnipresent against Ales in both matches. Nothing is impossible for Nice!
