After two consecutive home victories against Angers and Besançon, the Eagles lost to Saran with a score of 29 to 23.
A first half of alternating current
The Azur team never truly threatened their opponent of the evening. Besançon managed to keep Asier Antonio’s men at a distance. The Nice team remains 8th in the championship, seven points behind the podium and only three ahead of the bottom team, Sarrebourg. The rest of the Proligue promises to be thrilling with a highly competitive mid-table.
The start of the match was very well managed by the red and blacks. Fifteen minutes into the game, they had a two-goal lead and maintained it for five minutes. It was then that the Nice players committed several unusual turnovers. Central passes were intercepted by an opportunistic Saran team.
Nice falls in the span of a few minutes
The second half was a showcase for the Saranais, who implemented a rough and tough man-to-man defense. Upon returning to the locker rooms, a save by Gretar Gudjonnson on a shot by Arthur Muller kept the Eagles three goals behind. From the 39th to the 53rd minute, the Azur team had only one successful attack that resulted in a goal by Axel Oppedisano from 7 meters. He was the most effective Nice player of the evening with 6 goals at 67% efficiency. To aim for a top 5 finish, Nice needs to be more consistent throughout the entire 60 minutes, which is the key takeaway from these defeats. When their defense is serious and unified, they are tough to beat. The Nice team has proven their resilience time and again.
Cavigal will be back at home on December 4th to face Massy. It will be no easy encounter as the Franciliens are third with a total of 12 points. It’s the perfect opportunity to test themselves against one of the best Proligue teams. The season is still long, and the red and blacks have the potential to compete with the top of the table. Managing the sequence of matches will be crucial to maintaining the highest possible level of performance.
