A major challenge stood before the team from Nice. For the 35th day of Ligue 1, they faced a trip to Lille to take on the league leaders. The team from the Côte d’Azur had nothing left to play for but could disrupt the title race. The first challenge was tonight, and the second is on May 23 against Lyon to conclude the 2020-2021 season.
Following Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Lens (2-1) in the afternoon, the Lille team felt the pressure to win at the Pierre Mauroy stadium to maintain their point advantage over the capital’s club.
The match started off at a fast pace with the home team opening the scoring in the 13th minute with a right-footed strike from Yilmaz at the edge of the box. The team from the Côte d’Azur responded immediately and put significant pressure on Lille.
However, everything fell apart after the halftime break. Following a late tackle on Bamba, Nice defender Lotomba received a second yellow card, meaning expulsion. Down to 10 men against 11 for the last 40 minutes, Nice suffered more against the waves of attacks from Lille. Fifteen minutes later, Celik sent a precise shot with the outside of his foot, leaving Benitez rooted to the spot. The end of the match was just a formality.
This defeat is bitter for Adrian Ursea’s men. After 90 minutes of struggle, the red and black team fell 2-0. The Lille team was stronger and more selfless in their game plan. The second-best attack of the season (behind Paris) broke down the Côte d’Azur defense with disconcerting ease.
