15th in the championship with 5 points, OGC Nice is traveling tonight to Furiani, to face Bastia, who is in 9th place with seven points. This interesting record for the Corsican club is thanks to its two home victories. Be cautious!
A thrashing. That’s what Bastia suffered at the Vélodrome last weekend. Ghislain Printant’s men showed a very naïve side and significant technical shortcomings. These are recurring flaws away but have been erased at home since the start of the season. The 3-0 victory against Guingamp in their last outing at Armand Cesari is even enough to make a Nice team, beaten by the Breton side at the Allianz Riviera last Saturday, tremble.
A defeat that may have marked the end of the carefree attitude of a Gym that remained optimistic despite average results. The enthusiasm around their style of play is no longer as prevalent, with an average of one point per match, which is very insufficient to reach the thresholds of the top third of the championship.
Mickaël Le Bihan, who transferred from Le Havre this summer, shares the frustration arising from the results of this early season: “We are not being rewarded for our efforts on the field. We have a group with enormous qualities. The team plays the ball, we have possession, the chances, but we’re missing the success.”
A double-edged trip
Stifled by Guingamp, the Nice attack must primarily rediscover tonight the values that allowed them to start the season well. Movement, desire, and technical accuracy must resurface from the Ben Arfa – Pléa – Germain trio. Especially since facing a Bastia team that plays and is at home, the offensive possibilities will certainly be more numerous than against EAG.
Nonetheless, the match promises to be difficult in Furiani, where Bastia has only known victory this season after two matches. The Corsican 4-2-3-1 formation, driven by Floyd Ayité and Kamano, expresses itself well at home, and the offensive play, even without Djibril Cissé and Giovani Sio, manages quite well.
As for the Gym, the numerous individual satisfactions must finally give way to positive satisfactions and encouraging results. To find a bit of serenity, first, but also to confirm Claude Puel’s choices. The diamond 4-4-2, notably, appealing in appearance, must allow Nice to earn more points, especially as the opposition will intensify in the coming weeks.
Photo credit and more information at www.ogcnice.com
