Author of a good pre-season, OGC Nice has been gaining momentum in recent weeks. The team can now focus entirely on the big match against Benfica Lisbon this Wednesday at the Allianz Riviera.
Four wins, one draw, and one loss in six matches. On paper, the pre-season results for OGC Nice are quite positive. Match after match, week after week, the Aiglons have been gradually increasing in strength. This Wednesday, Dante’s teammates concluded the first phase of the season with a victory against Sheffield United (3-2). After two goals by Terem Moffi and Morgan Sanson, an own goal by the English team ultimately secured the win for the Azurean club.
Before that, the preparation began with a victory against Cercle Brugge (2-1). Badredine Bouanani, who scored a brace and is in great form at the start of the season, particularly stood out in this match. This was followed by another victory against Aubagne (3-0), a National league team. Although the performance by the Aiglons did not satisfy Franck Haise, especially in the first half. “As I told them, some of them wasted their time in the first half, and I’m not here to waste my time. We need to make progress every day,” stated the Nice coach after the match.
Only one loss for the team this summer
For their third summer test, the Aiglons conceded a draw in a particularly lively match against Nancy (3-3). The expected Nice reaction took place. Even though the three goals conceded resulted from individual errors by Juma Bah’s teammates. After this match, OGC Nice headed to Austria, where their traditional pre-season training camp took place.
On Austrian soil, the Niรงois were able to test themselves against European teams. First, against Feyenoord, who like Nice, will compete in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League in the coming days. The team delivered an impressive performance against the Dutch and won (2-1). On the same day, OGC Nice then faced St Pauli (Germany). With a particularly reshuffled eleven, Frank Haise’s players finally conceded twice in the last minutes of the match (0-2).
Some players shone, others less so
Among the players who stood out during this Nice preparation, Badredine Bouanani can be mentioned. In line with his performance at the end of last season, the forward is reaching new heights in Franck Haise’s system. His presence in the lineup against Benfica this Wednesday seems guaranteed. Another positive point was the use of young players from the squad. In this category, Antoine Mendy, Djibril Coulibaly, Gabin Bernardeau, Bernard Nguene, and Hamza Koutoune benefited from the playing time given to them.
The new recruits have started to settle into the OGC Nice lineup. Yehvann Diouf has replaced Marcin Bulka in goal. Juma Bah has been working on team coordination with his teammates in the three-man defense. Up front, Isak Jansson showcased his speed and ability to penetrate defenses. In terms of absentees, Mohamed-Ali Cho, Youssouf Ndayishimiye, Moรฏse Bombito, and Mohamed Abdelmonem have not played a single minute in these preparation matches. Injured, the four players are not yet ready to return to the field.
