Once again, Le Gym managed to turn the match around to secure an away win. Thanks to this third consecutive victory, Nice climbs into the top 10.
The gates of the Beaujoire have closed. The Nantes supporters certainly hadn’t imagined such a scenario. Unbeatable at home since September and undefeated against Le Gym for 13 years, the Canaries approached the match with full confidence.
The tribute to Johnny Hallyday, as they entered the pitch, probably inspired the Aiglons. But it was the Nantes players who initially set the match alight. Just before the 15-minute mark, Sala recovered an innocuous ball in the center circle (while fouling Sarr, by the way) and served Bammou, who left Benitez with no chance (1-0, 12th minute).
Stung into action, one might have thought the Aiglons would crumble, far from their brilliance of last year. And yet, despite all the good intentions of the referee, who also tried to break Le Gym. And yet, from a Seri corner, Plรฉa headed in to equalize before the break (1-1, 42nd minute).
Le Gym narrowly avoided disaster when just before halftime, Sarr committed a major foul that could have earned him a red card. Oh Malang, if you only knew…
BALOTELLI GREETS HIS FRIENDS
Returning from the break, Le Gym held strong, notably thanks to an imperial Walter Benitez in goal.
The match pivoted at the 75th minute. Saint-Maximin perfectly set up Balotelli 20 meters from goal. The idol of the young Nice fans then executed a magnificent curling shot that surprised Tatarusanu (1-2, 75th minute). The perfect heist. And as Johnny had said 75 minutes earlier, it only took a spark to light the fire.
A minute later, Benitez made a superb save in front of Jules Iloki when the whole stadium thought the ball was destined for the net. For Nantes, it’s black indeed. And the Canaries ultimately see Le Gym close the gap to four points, reaching the eighth place after a third consecutive victory which boosts morale.
We all have a bit of Balotelli in us…
WORDS, WORDS…
Lucien Favre: “It’s a great satisfaction. Mainly for the way we played, as we managed to thwart Nantes, which wasn’t easy. Over the entire match, we had significant possession, around 60-40, which wasn’t bad. The victory is not undeserved. We gifted a few passes we shouldn’t have lost. Those small technical errors could have been costly given Nantes’ very fast counter-attacks. We came here knowing we could achieve something but also face big problems. They are a team with constant physical commitment, playing forward, indeed they scored on a counter, but overall we controlled them well. It’s encouraging.”
Alassane Plรฉa: “We expected a very tough match. We felt it from the first minutes with their pressing and the physical impact they imposed. It’s a great victory, especially after being behind. We had the resources to come back and win. It’s a good series that’s continuing. We’re better in the game, starting to regain our level. The start of the season is behind us, we know this championship is tight, and we will need to go on streaks to climb up, which we’re currently doing. There are two games left before the Ligue 1 break, and it’s up to us to win them to aim higher. Personally, I went through a bit of a tricky period, it’s true. But I had two major injuries; I knew I would have ups and downs. For now, physically everything is fine. I’m scoring, which is good for the team and my confidence.”
