Despite an excellent first half, OGC Nice could not do better than a draw in Toulouse (1-1). The Eagles find themselves falling behind Paris and Monaco and can say goodbye to the title.
Movement, technique, and desire. When these three virtues are compiled, football shines in its simplicity. During a beautiful first half, the Eagles combined all three with magnificent fluidity, yet failed to materialize their control, which ultimately proved detrimental. The 4-2-3-1 formation set up by Lucien Favre? It looked good on paper, but the movements of his players – dressed in white this afternoon – made the system expandable and dangerous until the rigid 4-3-3 of the Violets found the answer in solidity during the second act.
Mobile, Eysseric often left his wing to create a numerical advantage in the center. Belhanda directed the play with precision and did not hesitate to drop back or move wide to try to create space. Seri or Koziello alternately moved up from “in front of the defense” to tighten the grip… The result of these permutations (always compensated) – worked and reworked by Lucien Favre throughout the week – was a constant domination in the first half. Faithful to their ideas, the Eagles generated a multitude of opportunities.
Back to back: Souquet dashed like an arrow to the Toulouse goal line and pulled back a pass to Eysseric, who came up a bit short (1st minute).
Mika Le Bihan, starting up front, stole a ball from Diop, sprinted to the goal but lost his duel against a heated Lafont (12th minute). Lafont then punched away a new strike from Le Bihan (signaled offside in the 15th), saw Seri’s free-kick crash off the post (17th), and stopped another shot from Nice’s number 10, delivered by Valentin Eysseric (21st).
Still in top form, the recently named precious playmaker entered the area, had his supporting leg swept… and received a yellow card for expressing his incomprehension toward an unperturbed Mr. Schneider (35th).
The enumeration (which a shot over by Koziello and a strike from Ricardo blocked by the Violet goalkeeper could have completed) suffices to give an idea of the Niçois dominance. The locals created two small opportunities, but Souquet impeccably returned on Braithwaite, and Cardinale thwarted a lob attempt by the Danish international.
NEW REACTION
Football remains an inexact science – which makes it so beautiful and sometimes so cruel –, Toulouse opened the scoring upon returning from the second half. Corentin Jean left the right wing to enter the center of the Nice area and crossed a shot with his left foot (56th). The first goal conceded did not shake Lucien Favre’s group, bolstered by an unyielding faith. Following a corner, the indispensable Eysseric received the ball and unleashed a monstrous shot with his right foot (58th).
The match ignited in the final half-hour, as the sun warmed up a well-packed and vocal Stadium. Just introduced into the game, Durmaz cut in from the right to the center and fired powerfully with his left… against Cardinale’s bar. The goalkeeper made an outstanding close-range save against Jullien in the following sequence. Then the game hardened. Gym held the ball, infiltrated the high Garonne zone but lacked the necessary breath. Toulouse went into a compact formation and executed counterattacks quickly upon recovery.
A quarter hour from the end, a new free-kick from Seri grazed the opposing top corner (76th). Lucien Favre introduced Donis and Balotelli to force a decision. The decision was not forced. At other times and in another era, a point brought back from the Stadium would have been a good outcome.
This Sunday, it leaves a real sense of frustration for a Nice team assured to finish on the podium but eager to reach higher.
The stat: 71.3%
Gym displayed 71.3% possession against Toulouse. The Eagles have only done better once in Ligue 1 this season, which was in Bastia last January 20th (71.4%).
Lucien Favre’s reaction
It’s a shame because we played a very high-level first half. It’s one of the most beautiful halves I’ve ever seen because we moved them with our play. That is where we need to score, but we miss the opportunities. We should lead 2-0 at halftime without discussion. But it is what it is. What matters is that we played well. We had an exceptional first half. We enjoyed it on the bench; it was fantastic. There are especially positive points to take away today. We did our best. It wasn’t easy in Toulouse, who had beaten Paris and Monaco here. We created enough chances to win, but there it is.
