This Friday evening, the Aiglons hosted Montpellier as part of the 25th day of Ligue 1. After five matches without victory, the Gym suffered another defeat (1-2).
Getting back on track was the weekend’s objective for OGC Nice. The Niçois are going through a rough patch in the championship, having gone five matches without a win. The Aiglons would fall further behind in the race for Europe if they had another poor performance.
For this match, Francesco Farioli lined up his traditional 4-3-3 formation. The Italian coach made only one change compared to the team from the defeat in Toulouse. Gaëtan Laborde was preferred over Evan Guessand on the right front of Nice’s attack.
The Aiglons dominate, but trail at halftime
The Gym was caught off guard at the start of the match. Jean-Clair Todibo inadvertently deflected a corner from Savanier into his own net (0-1). But the Niçois responded immediately. Less than a minute later, Gaëtan Laborde perfectly set up a goal for Jérémie Boga (1-1). The first quarter-hour was very lively.
OGC Nice gradually took control of the match. However, VAR alerted the referee, Ruddy Buquet, to a potential handball by Laborde in Nice’s penalty area, following an opposing free kick. Although the handball was inadvertent and difficult to avoid given the proximity between Laborde and his Montpellier opponent, the referee awarded a penalty to MHSC. Just before halftime, Teji Savanier remained calm. The Montpellier captain outmaneuvered Marcin Bulka (1-2).
The bad streak continues
In the second half, the Aiglons were unable to level the score. Jérémie Boga and then Evan Guessand each were thwarted by Benjamin Lecomte. Despite having possession of the ball, the Niçois couldn’t find the second goal to draw level. The last shot from Claude-Maurice went over the crossbar. The post-match scene turned chaotic after a heated exchange of words between Todibo and several supporters in the stands.
The next match for OGC Nice is on Wednesday, March 13. The Aiglons travel to Parc des Princes to face PSG in the quarter-finals of the French Cup. Kickoff is at 8:45 PM.
