After three consecutive defeats in the league, the Eagles had managed to stop the bleeding last week in the European Cup thanks to a hard-fought victory in the final moments against Larvik (28-27). Unfortunately, tonight they failed to overcome Dijon (23-30) and drop further in the standings (10^th).

Despite the victory obtained in the EHF European League last week against the Norwegian Larvik team, the start of the season is sluggish in the league for the Eagles. Ninth in Ligue Butagaz Énergie after four rounds, Sébastien Mizoule’s players were counting on hosting Dijon, 5^th, to get back on track.

A match that looked very tight on paper between two teams that finished in 5^th and 6^th place in Ligue Butagaz last season. Especially since the Burgundy club holds the title of the EHF European League, which is to say that it was a tough opponent that presented itself at the Charles-Erhmann Sports Hall this Wednesday evening.

But for Sébastien Mizoule, aware of his team’s qualities, there was a good opportunity to play tonight. « If the girls play with the same collective energy as against Larvik, then we will be capable of performing against many teams this season », he said yesterday before the match.  

Major collapse at the end of the first period

In contact with the Dijon players for most of the first half, the Nice players faded away from the 20^th minute on. Missing numerous passes in their attacks and no longer able to approach the opposing zone, they watched the score slip away, from 8-7 in their favor, to 8-13.

An offensive impotence that forced Sébastien Mizoule to call a timeout at the 26^th minute to stop the bleeding. This tactical pause did not have the desired effect, since the Eagles, lacking precision, went into the locker room with a six-goal deficit: 9-15.

This first period was marked by the physical duel between the two teams, with in particular three two-minute expulsions for the Côte d’Azur players. It’s difficult to compete on the field while playing six of the first thirty minutes with a player disadvantage (20% of playing time, editor’s note)

Same story after the break

Dominated again, the Nice players had a poor second half. Without widening the gap, the Dijon players managed the pace of the match, which gradually died down.

Despite good offensive performances from captain Marine Dupuis (6 goals) and Louna Benezeth (4 goals), the Eagles lose (23-30) and drop to 10^th place in the standings.

As against Saint-Amand, where they had missed the start of the match, the Maralpines can regret a missed end to the first half, which destroyed their hopes of a good result in this match. They now stand at 10^th place in Ligue Butagaz.

For coach Sébastien Mizoule, there’s no need to dramatize this disappointing performance : « it’s a defeat that hurts tonight, with a missed end to the first half, but not everything is bad. In the second half, I was able to test new formations, and give playing time to players who play less. That’s interesting when we’re engaged on two fronts. »

Next appointment in the European Cup on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Norway, for the second leg against Larvik. With only a one-goal lead before the match, the Nice players will need to be flawless if they want to continue their European journey.