Handball: Despite a strong Marine Dupuis performance, OGC Nice loses to Brest

For the penultimate day of Ligue Butagaz Energie, OGC Nice handball resisted at the start of the match but Brest quickly took the advantage thanks to a denser and better organized team. Despite the twelve goals from Marine Dupuis, OGC Nice Handball lost to a more complete and consistent Brest team.

OGC Nice Handball suffered a logical defeat against Brest Bretagne Handball (22-32), at the end of a match where the collective superiority of the Bretons weighed heavily. The Nice players started well, scoring right from the opening seconds thanks to Wendy Semedo Monteiro in great form at the start of the match. While Sébastien Mizoule’s players kept up the pace during the opening minutes, opposite Brest, who had inflicted a heavy defeat on the Nice players in the first match, quickly took the upper hand by relying on a perfectly oiled offensive organization and a compact defense that stifled local initiatives.

The Azure players resisted until the quarter-hour mark, before giving in to Brest’s rise in power. The quick sequences, the variety of scorers and Brest’s ability to exploit every space gradually widened the gap. The Nice players reached halftime with a six-goal deficit 10-16, after a period marked by several exclusions and opponent efficiency that was difficult to contain.

The return from the locker room did not allow OGC Nice to restart the momentum. The Brest team continued to impose its rhythm, alternating set play, quick ball transitions and perfectly coordinated defensive sequences. Faced with this intensity, the Eagles attempted to rely on Marine Dupuis’s individual inspiration, very accurate on seven-meter throws, but the gap widened further.

The Nice players continued to fight, notably thanks to goals from Julie Pontoppidan, Emma Rouly and Opelia Ondono, but the visitors maintained total control. The variety of Breton offensive solutions, technical precision and the ability to maintain constant intensity made the difference until the end of the match. With this victory, Brest takes the lead in the standings level on points with Metz. The Nice players (6th) have however said goodbye to European places as they now trail by four points the last qualifying spot for a European cup.

Marine Dupuis lights up the Nice evening

In a match dominated by Brest, the captain Marine Dupuis delivered a remarkable performance. She scored twelve goals, seven of which from seven-meter throws, and carried the Nice attack from start to finish. In the absence of Ehsan Abdelmalek this evening, her consistency and precision allowed Nice to stay in the match during the weak periods.

Wendy Semedo Monteiro added two goals and stood out mainly at the start of the match. Julie Pontoppidan scored twice and brought presence in the central area. Emma Rouly, Opelia Ondono, Whitney Semedo Monteiro, Marie Fall, Dienaba Sy and Isabela Da Cruz each scored one goal, showing a broad offensive distribution but insufficient to compete with Brest’s collective power.

From now on, OGC Nice Handball players have nothing left to play for before the final championship day which will take place this Sunday. They will travel to Saint-Amand for the 26th and final day of Ligue Butagaz Energie. Kickoff at 3 p.m.