There was electricity in the air Saturday night. Opposed to a Stella reinvigorated by the arrival of a new coach, the Nice players delivered an intense fight… but left with a bitter taste (32-28). A defeat, while the Côte d’Azur team, 6th in the standings, had already lost to Paris 92 (25-25).
From the first seconds, OGC Nice showed their hand through defensive aggression and quick forward projection. The Eagles opened the scoring (1-0) and displayed good intentions in attacking plays.
But Stella prevented any settling in. On a reversed play down the left side then exploited on the right, Stella went ahead (2-1).
The first ten minutes were a fireworks display: 4-4, 6-6… To each Nice opportunity, Stella responded immediately.
Despite a fine Nice chance turned away by the post, Stella struck on a penalty after a foul at the 11-minute mark. The home team was sharp, taking advantage of a turnover to score their 9th goal with determination (9-6).
Nice tried to reorganize, multiplying clean passes, but Stella had transformed and imposed their rhythm. A well-executed three-player move destabilized the Nice defense (13-10), before the gap widened to +4 (15-11), the biggest of the first half.
To the applause of the crowd, a Stella player had to leave her teammates, injured in the knee.
Nice’s resilience before halftime… which proves to be temporary
Nice didn’t give up. Thanks to a more solid defensive structure and the crucial entry of their new goalkeeper, the Côte d’Azur team gradually closed the gap. At 2’30 before halftime, they came back to 16-17. One final effort symbolizing their resilience.
However, upon returning from the locker room, Stella struck immediately. But Nice stepped up the tempo, exploiting spaces with dynamism (18-17). The new Nice goalkeeper prevented opposing shooters from scoring and allowed her team to go ahead (21-20, then 22-20).
The match became breathtaking: 23-23, 24-23, 25-24… Neither team wanted to give way.
Nice earned a crucial penalty to come back to 27-26, but Stella answered immediately. More clinical, more focused, Saint Maur scored in succession: 29-26, then a beautiful top corner for 30-26.
A penalty saved by Nice briefly reignited hope, but Stella definitively sealed the match in the final two minutes. The home goalkeeper made a decisive save before the final goal.
A bitter taste for the Eagles
Final score: 32-28. Fourth victory of the season for Stella, fourth defeat for Nice.
At the end of the match, Dienaba Sy didn’t hide her disappointment but praised the opposition’s performance: “Saint Maur showed a feisty approach, it destabilized us. Their victory is deserved, they worked hard for it, even if it’s tough for us.”
The Nice players deserved credit for hanging in, coming back, and reversing the trend for a time. But from constantly drawing on their resources, they ran out of breath at the crucial moments. After taking a +2 advantage, they saw a transformed Stella, aware of their qualities and ready to regain control.
For OGC Nice, the struggle to stay in touch with the top of the table is getting tougher. The work is there, the resilience too. Now it remains to turn these strong moments into victories.
Ambre Yaici
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