The Aiglons controlled their match against Lille, who were third in the championship. Thanks to goals from Cyprien and Saint-Maximin, they continue their impressive run and establish a reference match this season.
This Sunday, OGC Nice hosted LOSC, a team in good form at the start of the season as they were in third place at the beginning of the match. Bolstered by talented young players and seasoned veterans (including former Nice players Loïc Rémy and Jérémy Pied) and coached by Christophe Galtier, the Lille team boasts impressive individuals, particularly in attack with the formidable pair Jonathan Bamba-Nicolas Pépé.
In contrast, the Aiglons lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, with the return of Lees-Melou in midfield. The match started with a bang. Chances followed one another, and the game was entertaining. Malang Sarr intervened first in the box (5th) against a Lille counterattack. Tamèze then delivered a decisive tackle on Pépé (18th), who was breaking alone on a counter. The Northerners conceded possession to the locals, aiming to strike on the counter whenever possible.
Nevertheless, it was the Gym that would surprise Lille with a counter. Lees-Melou sent a beautiful outside-foot pass to Balotelli, who broke free on the left side. He cut inside and delivered a superb ball to Cyprien in the center, who finished with a volley on the stretch with the inside of his foot (1-0, 25th).
The match intensified further, and Saint-Maximin nearly doubled the lead with a long-range shot (27th). Then Balotelli was just slightly off on a cross from Jallet (36th).
The second half was largely uneventful, with Lille trying unsuccessfully to combine against a well-drilled Aiglon defense, yet capable of bursts. One such burst offered a corner from the right. The cross led to a confused situation, and the ball fell to Saint-Maximin. He controlled, shot, and beat Maignan with an unfortunate deflection off Dabila (2-0, 79th). It capped off a great evening, controlled from start to finish, all set in a vibrant atmosphere.
At the final whistle, the Gym climbed to sixth place, three points behind their evening’s opponent. Most importantly, they secured a fifth consecutive victory (the fourth in Ligue 1). This win was greatly beneficial to Patrick Vieira’s men.
THE STAT: 1
It’s the first time this season the Gym won by a two-goal margin. The first since May 12, 2018, against Caen (4-1).
PLAYER RATINGS
Walter Benitez: 6
The Nice goalkeeper had nothing to do. Serious in his passing.
Christophe Jallet: 5.5
The French international defender showed more defensively than offensively. On his left flank, he struggled against the speed of the Lille players but never gave up. Little offensive contribution.
Dante: 6
The captain, like the entire defense, struggled greatly against the speed of the northern attackers. However, he was solid in the air and in one-on-one situations.
Malang Sarr: 6
All three defenders faced similar difficulties. Each, including the young Nice player, managed to defend upright in one-on-one situations. A slight concern at the end of the match with a poor footing but nothing serious.
Christophe Hérelle: 6
A carbon copy of Dante and Malang Sarr. Solid when necessary but guilty of some errors.
Youcef Atal: 8 (Man of the Match)
Phenomenal match. The Algerian defender frequently surged forward. He consistently posed a threat down his right wing and was a torment to his opponent. An outstanding performance earning him the man of the match title.
Adrien Tamèze: 6.5
The midfielder is increasingly asserting himself as the leader in Nice’s midfield. Some beautiful interventions and forward projection but faced challenges in passing.
Wylan Cyprien: 6
Opened the scoring with a spectacular goal, finishing a volley. Active and dynamic in midfield, steadily improving.
Pierre Lees-Melou: 5.5
Returning to competition after an injury absence. As usual, invested a lot of effort and energy but clearly lacked rhythm. Replaced by Rémi Walter (81st) who brought aggressiveness to the midfield.
Mario Balotelli: 6
A very good first half concluded with a superb assist for Cyprien’s goal. Strong defensive repositioning. The second half was more typical, lacking runs and movement. Replaced by JV Makengo (72nd).
Allan Saint-Maximin: 7.5
A burst of energy! A great match from the French player with a (lucky) goal and numerous forward runs. Some avoidable ball losses. Replaced by Ignatius Ganago (89th) to a rousing applause from the Allianz Riviera.
PATRICK VIEIRA’S REACTION
“I am satisfied with the score and performance against a strong Lille team. It was the perfect home game. Lille created quite a few chances in the first half but very few in the second, where we were very solid defensively. We wanted to press them high and prevent them from finding their four attackers. In this regard, we did an enormous defensive job in midfield. We defended much lower than expected in the first period but because of the quality of the Lille team that made us retreat. We accepted it and defended well. We waited for the right moment and scored on a chance with a good pass from Mario. After the break, we barely suffered,”.
ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN’S REACTION
“Thanks to this series, we’re climbing back up the standings, it really gives us a lot of hope for the future,” analyzed the striker. “We’re not focused on the podium, we just want to rack up as many victories as possible. We’re all together towards the same goal, it’s increasingly noticeable. We’re not conceding goals, we’re solid, we need to continue like this. My goal? It’s important to be decisive, that’s what we tried to do with Mario tonight. We must also congratulate Wylan and the whole team.”
MALANG SARR’S REACTION
“We’re satisfied with the result, this match is one of our best performances this season. We were barely scraping by until now, but tonight we managed to increase the lead and ensure safety. It’s easier that way to manage the end of the matches. I’m happy, it’s getting better and better. We have to work every day and every week to make sure it stays that way. It will continue.”
