Against Chambéry, the Nice team showed steely determination to secure a valuable victory. Trailing for almost the entire match, they turned the tide in the last seconds to win (32-31).
From the first few minutes, the tone of the match was set. Chambéry came out strong and imposed their rhythm. Their striking attack found weaknesses in the Nice defense. The Savoyards quickly took the lead (6-3, then 8-5). However, Nice, without allowing themselves to be destabilized, responded to each of the opponent’s attempts. The tension rose with every contested ball, and the intensity never waned. Chambéry pushed, but the Nice players resisted and came back each time, despite a four-goal deficit at halftime (17-13).
Mental Strength, Key to Nice’s Victory
While Chambéry dominated offensively, it was the mental strength of the Nice team that made the difference. Against the repeated assaults from the Savoyards, Nice did not crack. The decisive interventions of the goalkeepers, notably with eight saves from Speno, helped to limit the damage. Chambéry could have run up the score, but the defensive effectiveness of Nice kept the gap reasonable. In the second half, the Azureans tightened their play even more. At 21 all, the pressure shifted to the other side.
A Nail-Biting Finale
The end of the match became nerve-wracking. With 10 minutes remaining, Chambéry seemed to have the upper hand leading 29-24. But they hadn’t counted on the tenacity of Nice. The Azureans pulled back to 29-29 and then took the lead for the first time in the match at 30-29. Chambéry responded in the last minute (30-30), but Nice, driven by an imperious Florian Graglia with 14 goals, regained the advantage. With 9 seconds left, Téo Morel equalized again for Chambéry. But Graglia, in a stroke of genius, sealed the outcome of the match with a perfect final shot. Nice won (32-31).
The Nice team will now need to confirm this victory in their next match, next Saturday at 8 PM at home against Nîmes.
