Nice secured a win without truly faltering on the field at Guingamp last night. Thanks to this victory, the Aiglons extend their lead at the top of the standings.
The Aiglons made only one change in their starting lineup compared to the match against Bastia, with Vincent Koziello replacing Rémi Walter in midfield. As usual, Nice took control of the game right from the start. It took only five minutes for Younès Belhanda to open the scoring with a superb curling shot (5th minute).
Just like against Corsicans, the players from Nice could have broken away and scored the goal to seal the victory (Dante’s header hit the bar in the 14th minute, Pléa lost a one-on-one in the 16th), but this time they maintained their concentration and did not let their opponent back into the game. In the first half, Yoan Cardinale was impressive with two beautiful saves (15th, 45th) thwarting shots from Didot and Salibur.
In the second half, the Aiglons suffered but held on. But what else can you expect against the 5th place team in Ligue 1, who hadn’t lost a home game so far and tried to stretch the play in the last quarter hoping to find an opening, failing in their passing game.
The Bretons were up against a united and well-organized Azurean team, centered around their captain Dante, who put on a top-class performance, and Yoan Cardinale’s calmness, perfect on the line, not dropping a single one of the numerous balls he had to deal with in a tense second half.
The stat: 5 out of 7
The Gym just secured their fifth victory in seven away games. The 3 points gained at Roudourou add to the 13 previously obtained away, making the Gym, with 16 points, the best away team in Ligue 1, ahead of PSG (15 points) and Monaco (14 points, with one more match).
Lucien Favre’s reaction:
“It is difficult to get points here. All the matches are very close. Guingamp is dangerous at home. They have athletic players, very good in one-on-one situations, especially on the flanks, and that is hard to contain. If you don’t defend well, it can be very risky.”
Vincent Koziello’s reaction:
“We managed to maintain our advantage, something we couldn’t do against Bastia. This shows that the team is improving and learning from its mistakes. It was a tough match against a great team that was still undefeated at home. They didn’t let us play, with a lot of pressing. It’s great for us to come away with the 3 points. We were very focused on what we needed to do, and it paid off. We had opportunities to kill off the game that we didn’t take. We need to learn from this match to do better next time. We have great mental strength and a strong team cohesion. And we continue to win by playing good football. Winning here at Guingamp is important for what comes next.”
