The goal was victory with a sufficient goal margin for the return match. And at one point, it seemed almost attainable with an 8-4 lead and an attacking ball to score the ninth goal; the scenario seemed ideal.
But no, the opportunity was missed, and the match took a completely different turn. Nice collapsed, allowing Montpellier to inflict a severe 6-0 on them. Truly incredible!
Following this defeat, Nice seriously jeopardizes its chances for the finals: on Saturday in Montpellier, they will need to win by a three-goal margin. In sports, anything is always possible, but given what we saw last night, it still seems unlikely.
Yet, after a balanced start to the match (2-2), Nice had indeed taken control of the game as well as the ball, with a very promising score at halftime (6-3) thanks to an uncompromising Kozmer on the finish of his opponents.
The third period further reinforced this impression, as Montpellier was very nervous both in the water and on the poolside, resulting in the expulsion of their coach Fabien Vasseur and seeming on the brink of collapsing.
Well, the opposite happened, and Samuel Nardon’s players were caught up, leading to a narrow one-goal lead (8-7) after conceding three goals in just over a minute of play.
No reaction from Nice in the fourth quarter, and the Languedocians took advantage to finish the job with a double. The finale was slightly more thrilling: a goal for Nice and one in reply from Montpellier set the final score at 11-9 for the visitors.
They will have to both outperform and overplay in Montpellier!
