Three days after the 1-0 defeat in Montpellier, the Nice team is putting their cleats back on tonight (7 p.m.) in Nantes for an already decisive match.
Yesterday at the training center, captain Dante and coach Vieira spoke to the media during the traditional pre-match press conference. It was an opportunity to coolly discuss the reasons for the defeat in Montpellier (1-0) last Saturday. “We lacked focus, commitment, and perhaps even desire,” explains Nice captain Dante. “But now it’s in the past, tomorrow’s match will be more difficult. Nantes needs points, just like us. It’s up to us to stay focused for 90 minutes, make passes, and play our football.”
The Brazilian is not wrong. This match in Nantes is very important for both teams. Nantes is in eighteenth place in the standings while Nice occupies the fifteenth. We could say woe to the vanquished. The Canaries have only won once in their last 5 matches. The Azuréens, meanwhile, are fresh off this setback, a “no-show in terms of commitment” according to Patrick Vieira in Hérault. They will need to go all out in this match that is shaping up to be difficult. “The Nantes team is not easy to handle. They defend well and find solutions upfront. They will also feel the pressure from their home crowd. They can’t afford mistakes. It’s up to us to be ready in terms of commitment and involvement,” emphasizes the Nice coach.
The Aiglons need to earn points, especially knowing that their next opponent will be the Parisian giant at Allianz Riviera on Saturday. The three points would allow Patrick Vieira’s men to breathe easier in the standings and move a little further away from the relegation zone.
Pierre Ferrand
