This Wednesday evening, Olympic Nice Natation hosted Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille for the first leg of the French Pro A water polo championship final. The two teams ended in a draw (10-10) after a closely fought match. The Nice team will need to win in Marseille in 3 days if they want to secure another French championship title.
It was the Marseille team who started the match better, quickly taking the lead. The Nice players quickly responded, coming back to equalize twice. After 4 minutes of play, the score was 2-2. Then, Nice took the lead at the end of the first period. After 8 minutes, Samuel Nardon’s players were leading 4-3.
At the beginning of the second period, Olympic Nice Natation did everything to widen the gap but without success. The Nice team hit the crossbar and missed a penalty. The Marseille players took the opportunity to come back to score and even move ahead.
Finally, the two teams were tied at halftime: 6-6.
At the start of the third period, Nice regained the lead. For the first time in the match, Samuel Nardon’s men were even 2 goals ahead, leading 9-7. With 8 minutes remaining, Nice was leading 10-8.
Towards the end of the match, the goalkeepers stood out with several decisive saves. Ultimately, with 2 minutes left, the Marseille players managed to overcome their 2-goal deficit to equalize.
The match ended with a score of 10-10. The return leg will be played on Saturday, June 11, in Marseille. Nice will need to win to claim a 13th French championship title, while Marseille, with a victory, would secure their 36th national title.
