Harmless in attack but solid defensively, the Aiglons once again lost foolishly. The crisis is setting in…
Once a week (at least), all Nice supporters are entitled to their dedicated evening. It’s called “the Purge.” The trip to Rome was no exception to the rule.
As usual since the start of the season, we knew from the lineup that the match would be difficult. The incomprehensible choices of Lucien Favre are no longer surprising. So be it.
In a match marked by a low number of chances, especially in the first half, the Gym at least had the merit of holding onto the ball. And that’s about it. Otherwise, Pléa impaled himself at least three times on the defenders, Koziello didn’t make a single forward pass, and Lees-Melou, although sick (!), failed at everything.
CASPER AND MENDY
The second half was hardly better. Aside from two long-range shots from Walter (59th) and then Sneijder (61st), a penalty not awarded after a handball by Christophe Jallet (62nd), and another attempt by Pléa (77th), nothing was very interesting.
In the midfield, Mendy and Koziello, ghost-like, struggled to fill Seri’s role (the real one, not this year’s version), and Pléa had fun imitating them in attack. And yet, the defense finally played its role with Dante visibly in better shape. But when it doesn’t want to work, it just doesn’t.
Despite the convincing entries of Balotelli, Lusamba, and Tamèze (especially the last two), the Gym clearly aimed to play for a draw. Failed.
In the last second, the Gym’s defense relaxed on a corner. The ball bounced off Le Marchand and tricked the… one-night goalkeeper (hopefully!) Walter Bénitez. It’s worth noting that apparently, the Gym is aiming for the own-goal record in a month. Not to mention that after the goal, no spirit of revolt seemed to go through the team. 30 seconds of circulating the ball, and that’s it. 1-0, curtain.
The match against Zulte Waregem, on November 23 at the Allianz Riviera, will be crucial. Lucien Favre’s men have a two-point lead over Zulte Waregem, who won in Arnhem on Thursday night (0-2). They remain second in the group but given the recent quality of play, there’s cause for concern.
On Sunday, the people of Nice will get their new Purge: Dijon will come to the Allianz. A match that seems like a trap. At this rate, Jean-Pierre Rivère and Julien Fournier will have some explaining to do…
How far away the Amsterdam exploit seems…
THE STAT
It’s almost laughable because it’s so ridiculous: in one month, the Gym has scored as many own goals (3) as regular goals (2). Embarrassing.
WORDS, WORDS…
LUCIEN FAVRE: “We managed the game well, circulated the ball a lot. We didn’t create many chances, but neither did they. Of course, they remained dangerous on set pieces. At the end of the game, it was about staying well focused, getting the ball out, and not engaging in things where they could counter us. And unfortunately, the goal came from a counter on which they got a corner, and so on. We should have managed that better, unfortunately. Despite everything, we played a good match. There is nothing to reproach the players for, absolutely nothing.”
