Battered at the start of the match, Nice managed to draw on their resources to secure an important victory (0-1) on Nancy’s field, thanks to a new goal from Alassane Pléa.
Marked by the death of René Marsiglia, former player and coach of the Gym, the Red and Black were determined to shine to pay him tribute. This trip to Nancy was expected to be tricky and relatively complicated to manage. With all points being important to earn, both teams relied on this match to try to collect as many as possible.
The now traditional 3-5-2 formation was retained. However, Balotelli (who stayed in Nice), Belhanda, Seri, and Koziello (on the bench) were replaced by Pléa, Eysseric, Bodmer, and Walter. Lucien Favre rotated his squad ahead of another important trip to Krasnodar on Thursday night.
With Monaco winning in Angers, Nice could not afford any mistakes if they wanted to keep their position at the top. They also needed to take advantage of Paris’ misstep in Toulouse to gain points.
Yet, the beginning of the match favored the locals. Nancy had opportunities, but Mandanne (20th, 24th) and Lenglet (37th) did not capitalize. More incisive, the Nancy players blocked the Nice game. Nice’s only opportunity came from Alassane Pléa, whose superb long shot forced N’Dy Assembé to make a save (26th).
Pléa frees the Eagles
After the break, Nice pulled themselves together and the game turned within two minutes. N’Dy Assembé deflected a header from Sarr (57th). At the other end of the field, a minute later, Koura failed to beat Yoan Cardinale, Nice’s goalkeeper. Two minutes passed and Eysseric perfectly served Pléa who got behind the defense. He just had to outsmart N’Dy Assembé (0-1, 60th).
Dazed, the Nancy players retreated and succumbed. Eysseric nearly doubled the score in the 73rd minute, as did Bodmer a few minutes later. At the back, Dante and Baysse held things together. Nice managed the end of the match, and despite Nancy’s 15 shots (none on target!), the lock didn’t break and the Gym claimed another win in a match that was not very exciting but in which Nice was able to impose their technical prowess and display the breadth of their talent.
Fifth victory in seven matches for OGC Nice, who remain undefeated this season. They are once again at the top of the podium. Good omen before the perilous trip to Krasnodar on Thursday in the Europa League.
The stat: 4
Nice needed only four shots on target out of thirteen to find the gap against Nancy. Conversely, the Nancy players were really lacking success as they failed to get… Any shot on target, despite fifteen attempts.
Lucien Favre’s reaction:
“As a coach, I prepare all matches to win, otherwise it’s time to choose another profession. Of course, the points gained are very important, it gives credibility to everything. But we obtained them as a team. What is not trivial is that we have 17 points in 7 matches. We savor in a way, but it’s the upcoming matches that matter.”
Rémi Walter’s reaction:
“It wasn’t easy, we knew that. That’s what we came for. It’s the result of good work in training by the whole group. We see that we can switch, there’s good rotation, we have a good squad. Even though we are young, we manage to gain experience with the recent recruits we had. It’s a good mix that allows us to be efficient. On the 7th matchday, this leading position is anecdotal. We have to continue, taking matches one by one with the aim of achieving results.”
