For the fifth day of the playoffs, OGCN Handball hosted Nantes Atlantiques Handball. Tied in points before the match, they occupied the sixth and seventh places. Far from being able to compete for the title, the goal was to get closer to Paris 92, who are fourth with a five-point lead.
In the end, Nantes leaves the Côte-d’Azur with the victory points in their pocket (30-31). The defeat can be bitter for OGC Nice, as victory was within their reach. The playoffs are unforgiving, and every detail counts. Let’s look back at a match that was close from start to finish.
In the tenth minute of play, a seven-meter throw allowed the Nantes team to take the lead with a goal by Kbodar. The Nice team responded in the best way possible with a lob from the right wing by the left-handed player Kimberley Bouchard. Despite defensive lapses in the Azurian defense, goalkeeper Jovana Micevska was very solid in the first quarter of an hour.
However, a small two-point lead was quickly overtaken by the Nantes team thanks to a high defensive block that prevented connections between the center half and her back players. By forming a pincer movement, the playmaker was forced to handle nearly all one-on-ones alone. The Nantes coach, Guillaume Saurina, gained a first psychological advantage over his Nice counterpart, Kolev Marjan. At halftime, the red and black team managed to hold onto an unexpected 17-17 draw.
Returning for the second half, the Nice team raised their game, becoming more precise and losing fewer balls. Both attacks were highlighted, and the score was 28-28 during the critical moments of the game. A lost ball on a pass intended for the pivot gave the pink team (Nantes) an opportunity they did not miss (29-31). They would never be caught again. Nice even hit the goalpost after a one-on-one down the center. The Azurian team was valiant in intensity but not accurate enough to win the match.
