After a beautiful victory against Lens at home (2-1) before Christmas, the Aiglons finished the half-season with an impressive second place in the standings.
To start 2022, OGC Nice travels to Brest, a team they defeated last October 2-1 at home but which is now in full confidence with only one loss in their last 12 matches.
The match starts intensely, with both teams putting in effort and appearing determined to win this first match of 2022.
At the beginning of the match, it is mainly deep runs that allow the Gym to trouble Brest’s defense, which leads to the opening goal. Kluivert is sent through, shakes off all his opponents, and passes to Dolberg at the edge of the box. The Dane sends a perfect strike into the bottom corner to open the score! 0-1 for OGC Nice!
Brest quickly attempts to react by pushing forward. Faivre and Honorât are often served on the wings, trying to find Mounie, who comes close twice to connecting with the ball. Moments later, it’s Le Douaron who is served and is stopped by Benitez (16th minute)
The Niçois play quickly with one-touch passes and try to serve behind the defenders when they penetrate the last 30 meters of the Breton half. The Aiglons appear settled in this match, but an event changes the game’s dynamics.
It’s the red card for Schneiderlin in the 20th minute. As the former United player tackles the former Aiglon, Christophe Herelle, the defensive midfielder gets tangled in the Brest defender’s legs. It’s a very severe expulsion as the number 6 initially touches the ball. This decision can completely change the course of the match.
Brest multiplies attempts since Nice’s goal, even more so after Schneiderlin’s red. The Bretons hold onto the ball, and Nice can no longer construct any attack. After attempting a bicycle kick, Herelle heads the ball, but Benitez saves the Gym (32nd minute). Mounie is also present with a header 7 minutes later. Brest dominates the match since Nice is down to 10 men, and Benitez repeatedly saves his team. Once again from a corner, Agoume sends a powerful header, then it’s Le Douaron who shoots powerfully, but the Argentinian is on it once more.
The first Nice strike since the red card comes thanks to Kluivert, who leads a counter-attack before perfectly serving Dolberg. The Dane is close to scoring a double, but Chardonnet makes an excellent tackle to block the ball. Nice awakens in the added time of this first half. This time, Rosario sends a long ball to Gouiri, who loses his duel against Bizot.
The look of the second half appears similar to the first, with the Bretons holding the ball and trying to create danger through crosses (Faivre 52nd, Lasne 54th, Agoume 64th, Mounie 69th), but it does not work against the good positioning and vigilance of the Niçois.
As time passes, the match increasingly resembles an attack-defense situation.
Brest continually attempts to equalize through crosses and set pieces. With 15 minutes remaining, Nice holds, but Brest can come back at any moment.
Delort knocks out Brest with the 0-2!
From a long clearance by Benitez, he wins the ball with a header and passes it to Gouiri. The latter advances with the ball before passing it deep to Delort, who opens his foot and scores his 6th goal of the season.
Despite all Brest’s efforts to come back into this match (Mounie 83rd, Chardonnet 85th), the match is sealed, and Nice is close to scoring the third with Delort (87th) and Thuram (89th).
The Gym will ultimately score their third goal in the dying seconds of the match. Gouiri concludes an action that started from the azurean box. The former Lyon player practically covers the entire field with the ball, eliminates Duverne, and fires past Bizot. 0-3 for the Gym
Victory for Nice at the Francis le Blé Stadium! The Gym perfectly launched this first match of 2022 with an early goal from Kasper Dolberg. A few minutes later, Schneiderlin’s expulsion seemed to change the dynamics, but the Niçois delivered a strong defensive performance and did not crumble against the repeated Breton crosses and set pieces. Even at 10 against 11, the Aiglons converted the few opportunities they had to extinguish Brest’s last hopes and win this match with a score of three to zero.
The Aiglons’ ratings for this match:
Benitez (8) – Lotomba (6), Todibo (7), Dante (8), Daniliuc (6) – Boudaoui (5), Schneiderlin (3), Rosario (8), Kluivert (7), Gouiri (8), Dolberg (7).
Substitutes who came on: Delort (7), Thuram (7), Claude-Maurice (5)
