In search of renewal after their last four consecutive defeats, the Eagles of Nice traveled to the leader of the Ligue Magnus, Rouen, for the 16th matchday. Victory was imperative not to fall behind in the race for the podium. After a very contested match despite the score, the Azurรฉens return from the trip with a 5-0 defeat.
Before the match, the Azurรฉens were five points behind the third place (Grenoble) but with two more games played. For many weeks, significant gaps have appeared depending on the matches played. However, all these issues have been resolved with a championship reform that occurred at the beginning of the year.
The first period was greatly dominated by the Rouennais, who pushed the Eagles into their rearguard. The Niรงois were cornered and could only take advantage of a few counter-attacks to hope to open the score. Unfortunately for them, the locals found the back of the net in the 8th minute through Juha Koivisto, well assisted by Anthony Guttig.
Stanislav Sutor’s men had a burst of pride and instantly projected forward. However, the opposing defense never wavered. Worse still, we witnessed a collapse of the reds and blacks. Of the five goals conceded, three were scored while they were outnumbered. Beyond the unflattering result, the Eagles gave their all but offered golden opportunities.
The Rouen Dragons still hold the top of the standings with an impressive record of thirteen wins out of fourteen possible.
