After suffering a frustrating defeat on Olympique Lyonnais’s pitch (2-1) last Sunday, OGC Nice travels to the Stade Francis-Le Blé this Friday with a clear ambition: victory. Still struggling away from home, the Eagles will attempt to secure their first away win of the season.
It was a scene as rare as it was unexpected that opened the pre-match press conference for the Eagles this Wednesday morning. Present unexpectedly before the media even before coach Olivier Pantaloni spoke, sports director Roger Ricort came to the fore to extinguish the budding fire targeting Yehvann Diouf. Target of sustained criticism in the press and on social media following the defeat in Lyon, the Nice goalkeeper received unconditional support from his management. « We decided this year to build a very united squad and I sense there is still a certain level of targeting against him », hammered the Azure executive, recalling that of the nine goals conceded this season, the last line of defense was blameless on at least seven of them.
« I wanted to say that he is a very fine person, very invested in the club. We won’t have a very good season if we don’t have a composed goalkeeper in goal », he insisted, calling on supporters not to « shoot themselves in the foot » and to reserve a warm welcome for him at the Allianz Riviera.
Following suit, Olivier Pantaloni agreed: « we have full confidence in him. Everyone knows his qualities. There is no reason why, because of a poorly controlled ball, he should be subject to such criticism. »
A winning mentality to confirm
On the pitch, this trip to Brittany must serve as a real test for Ligue 1’s 13th-placed side. If the defeat recorded against Lyon left heavy regrets, the Nice coaching staff took advantage of video debriefing to highlight the dual nature displayed by their team. After a timid first half, hampered by 35 turnovers in their own half, the Azure side showed a striking reaction of pride at half-time. By setting up a higher block and engaging more aggressive collective pressing, OGC Nice recovered ten balls in the opponent’s half and stifled Lyon’s play.
It is precisely this boldness and spirit of initiative that the Nice coach wants to see again from kick-off this weekend. « We must build on our second half in Lyon to realize our ability to play away and not fear our opponent. We have the ability to be solid defensively while playing higher and creating far more chances. I have always tended to see the glass half full rather than half empty. »
A resolutely winning mindset shared by striker Mohammed Amoura. « We played a good match in Lyon despite the result. We put that match behind us, we go to Brest to win and get the three points. »
Sharpening the attack
The key to the match will also lie in Gym’s ability to pose problems for the fifth-best attack in the championship. A Brest side that remains as formidable through its athletic power and its ability to project quickly. The Nice central defense will need to be particularly vigilant about the opposition’s holding play and second-ball control, an area where the Bretons excel particularly with their striker Ludovic Ajorque.
On the other side of the pitch, the Nice attacking duo is still finding its rhythm. While Mohammed Amoura says he is 100% sharp and very close with Elye Wahi, the two men still need to fine-tune their technical understanding to turn their quick transitions into goals, while better managing their runs to avoid repeated offside traps.
« Elye is so keen to do well that he sometimes rushes, but with his speed and power, he has enough margin to make his runs a bit lower », notes his coach. A crucial adjustment if they want to unlock their away tally and leave Finistère with three points.
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