In this 32nd day of Ligue 1, the Aiglons finally put an end to their winless streak, securing 3 points at the very end of the match thanks to a double from Andy Delort.
The Allianz Riviera and its supporters can finally smile again, though they first had to endure some tense moments to reach victory in a very contested match.
Right from the start, both teams quickly set their formations. On the Nice side, a very high block imposing an intensive press and numerous passes in play, while Lorient opted for a low block in counterattack. At the quarter-hour mark, the red and blacks multiplied passes to find gaps in the opposing block but to no avail. It took until the half-hour mark to see the first real opportunity of this game with a lob from Kluivert that was just barely deflected by the Lorient goalkeeper. Nice had the upper hand over their opponent but could not capitalize. Just before the break, the Gym managed to create a great chance, unfortunately flagged for offside, with a pass from Thuram finding Gouiri in depth. The French player then put on a mini-show, managing to cross to Delort, who narrowly missed the target. At halftime, both teams were deadlocked with a score of 0-0 in a relatively calm first half from both sides.
Returning from the locker room, Christophe Galtier’s men appeared more dangerous, creating several chances until the 52nd minute when Thuram’s breakthrough in the Lorient defense was rewarded with a penalty converted by Andy Delort. It was 1-0 for OGCN, but the match quickly heated up, allowing Lorient to equalize shortly after (61st minute) with a powerful shot from Laurienté after maneuvering past Stengs in the area. Soon after a missed attempt by Delort, Lorient quickly countered, finding Moffi who managed to outmaneuver the Nice goalkeeper and followed up with a shot that found the back of the net—fortunately for the Gym, the striker was ruled offside. This was followed by partial dominance from Lorient, who gained control of the ball and put pressure on Nice’s goal. Galtier reacted quickly with a triple substitution. Amine Gouiri was replaced by Kasper Dolberg, Stengs by Boudaoui, and Jordan Amavi by Melvin Bard. Both teams managed to create dangerous situations but lacked precision in the final move. Approaching the end of regular time, Galtier played his final cards, substituting Bilal Brahimi for Kluivert and Thuram for Schneiderlin to the applause of the crowd.
Nice finally clinched the victory at the very end of the match (88th minute) thanks to a brace from Andy Delort on a magnificent cross from Kasper Dolberg, with the Algerian international finding himself alone at the far post and concluding with a diving header marking his 12th goal of the season.
After a match filled with twists and turns, Nice finally returned to winning ways, temporarily climbing to 4th place in the standings, 2 points behind Rennes. The Aiglons will face Monaco next Wednesday at the Louis II stadium and must win to keep dreaming of Europe. The last days of the championship, in the race for the podium, promise to be thrilling.
