The Ray Stadium felt quite empty for this French Cup match, which ultimately did not turn in favor of the Nice team, who can now focus on their championship gala game this Sunday at 5 p.m. against the Girondins de Bordeaux.
Everything started off well, as after only 7 minutes of play, the local hero, Alex Bosetti, fooled N’dy Assembé with an unstoppable shot (1-0). This lead boosted the Eagles’ morale as they continued to press the Nancy defense without finding the net again. A fairly heavy tackle from Sami on Maupy could have resulted in a penalty from Mr. Millot, but the referee let the play continue to the great disappointment of the Nice bench.
And as often happens when a team dominates, it was the Nancy players who exploited a gross defensive mistake by Nice to equalize through Efoulou, who scored into an empty net well assisted by Mokandjo (1-1). The game seemed to calm down on the field, with the two coaches exchanging verbal barbs, forcing Mr. Millot to intervene to calm things down. The pitch, in very poor condition, didn’t help the players maintain control of the ball, and halftime was signaled with a tied score.
Just enough time to warm up, and the second half began. Once again, it was the Nice team dictating the pace of the game, with Maupay forcing the Nancy goalkeeper to save his team. But just like in the first half, it was Nancy who finally found the net again, thanks to Efoulou who left no chance to Delle (1-2). It was back to square one for the Eagles as Puel replaced Bosetti and Diaz with Pied and Bauthéac, and a few minutes later, Meriem with Cvitanich. Claude Puel’s men multiplied their incursions into the Lorraine defense but without much success as the minutes ticked away. Now, there were only five minutes of extra time left to possibly force an overtime. And it was that devil Cvitanich who would unlock the situation with a diving header that finished in the Nancy net just before Mr. Millot blew the end of regulation time. Overtime could then begin.
The first half of overtime was once again in favor of the Eagles with Bauthéac forcing the Lorraine goalkeeper into a fine save, and Gomis not making the right choice when it came to serving his teammates near the Nancy box. Not many more opportunities from either side, and the second period of overtime began with the Lorraines physically struggling. Nevertheless, they had the first good chance with a free-kick about twenty meters from Delle’s goal, but the shot found only the Azure wall. The play became sloppier for both teams and the condition of the pitch didn’t help. Only 5 minutes left before the cruel penalty shootout. The Eagles monopolized the ball, but the Lorraine defense handled the long aerial balls well. A final feat from N’dy Assembé saw him deflect a superb strike from Cvitanich at the last seconds, and Mr. Millot blew the end of the match. The choice of shooters could begin for both coaches.
Ayasse successfully converted his penalty, and Digard followed suit. Cvitanich took his turn, and his shot sailed into the empty stands of the Ray, while Puygrenier converted his penalty. Kolodziejczak stepped up next, and this time the post saved the Nancy goalkeeper, but the Nancy player Dampha also missed the target by sending his shot off-target. Civelli confidently found the side netting, and it was Muratori who ultimately qualified his team, sending them to the round of 16.
Now Claude Puel’s men must best digest this elimination and recover from this marathon match to prepare themselves for the famous Sunday encounter against Bordeaux.
