At the end of a well-controlled match overall, despite a difficult start, OGC Nice secured a 3-1 victory against Bastia. It’s their first away win of the season for the team, following draws in Troyes and Angers.
To bounce back and finally take the points three at a time. That was Nice’s objective before the match against Bastia last night. Having been defeated last week against Guingamp, Claude Puel’s men had to respond to improve a mediocre record of 5 points in 5 matches before the encounter. Mission accomplished for the red and black team, who triumphed thanks to Nampalys Mendy’s first goal in Ligue 1, followed by goals from Germain and Benhrama.
Nevertheless, the start of the match was far from ideal for the team. Troubled by Bastia’s high pressing and determination, the Nice defense made mistakes. One significant error occurred in the 15th minute of play. Following a clearance from Mouez Hassen, Diallo’s pressing paid off and the ball found its way to Brandao’s feet in front of an open goal at the edge of the penalty area. A bit surprised, the Brazilian missed the target with his first-touch attempt. A close call for the Nice defense.
The defense would crack 8 minutes later. Not sufficiently challenged on the right side, Gaël Danic managed to cut inside and unleashed a superb left-footed strike that ended in the opposite corner. A splendid goal that wouldn’t go unanswered for long.
Nice finally rewarded
Trailing 1-0 away, in a derby, and without its supporters, it seemed to be tough going for Nice. However, the eaglets were to prove that the calm they had shown since the start of the season was no act. Unfazed by Danic’s missile, the Nice players regained control of the ball and equalized in the 33rd minute.
An exceptional goal from Nampalys Mendy who unleashed a massive strike from nearly thirty meters to open his Ligue 1 scoring account. A goal that might boost him in terms of effectiveness in the coming weeks. A goal that already set OGC Nice free that evening. The runs into depth by Pléa and Germain were much sharper than against Guingamp.
In the 40th minute, the striker on loan from Monaco gave Nice the lead with a perfect run behind the local defense. Set up by Séri, Valère Germain took his time to control well before skillfully placing the ball past Leca after being completely forgotten.
A well-managed second half
At halftime, Nice led, and it was deserved. The second half was more in favor of Bastia, but the Corsicans showed too much imprecision to truly threaten. On the other hand, Nice’s counterattacks were effective as seen in Germain’s chances (60th and 77th minutes). As the residents of Furiani pushed late in the match to equalize, Benrhama, on a final counterattack in the 94th minute, drove the point home by defeating Leca with a shot from the right side of the penalty area.
This best demonstrates that Nice has truly learned from its mistakes, particularly in Troyes. For the first time this evening, the team showed considerable defensive strength. This stability was certainly facilitated by the return of captain Mathieu Bodmer as a starter: “We noticed that teams were waiting for us, so we gave the ball a bit to the opponent tonight, and it worked. We put more into it and were more effective.”
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