OGC Nice started the match prominently, immediately taking an offensive stance. In the third minute, Emerse Faé made an attempt from just outside the box. Christophe Revel, the Vannes goalkeeper, averted the danger. A minute later, Eric Mouloungui was notable. However, his shots were deflected by the Breton defense. The Gabonese retry, but his shot was caught by the goalkeeper. The first ten minutes were dominated by Nice. Frédéric Antonetti’s team pressed high and recovered many balls. On a wet and greasy pitch, the midfielders were efficient and provided their forwards with great opportunities.
But strangely, the pressure dropped after fifteen minutes of play. Nice passed the ball around and committed fouls. Vannes got three good free kicks in a few minutes but these posed no danger to Lionel Letizi, who was having a very calm start. In the twenty-second minute, Khiter sent Gimbert deep. On the edge of the box, the Vannes forward shoots but his attempt was deflected by Apam for a corner, which led to nothing. The play was now messy, and both teams accumulated inaccuracies. Bad shots, missed passes, rough fouls, everything piled up… The quality of the show was frankly impaired, the state of the pitch making matters worse.
Hellebuyck hits the bar
After thirty minutes, Gimbert had a chance to shoot but Apam intervened perfectly to clear the danger. At the thirty-fifth minute, Habib Bamogo dodged two opponents on his right side, entered the box, and came into contact with Ekobo. The referee did not react, and shortly after, Bamogo induced Leugueun’s foul in the right corner of the box. David Hellebuyck’s free kick hit the crossbar. After twenty sluggish minutes, the players from Nice pushed forward again. Just before halftime, Eugène Ekobo went out, apparently due to a muscle pull. Stéphane Auvray replaced him. Faé broke free near the touchline and was taken down by Nicolas Savinaud, who received a yellow card. Illy executed, Hellebuyck’s free kick was repelled.
At the end of the three minutes of added time and after a well-conducted counterattack, Loïc Rémy crossed to Mouloungui who could have scored but Martot removed the ball with the tip of his boot. The Bretons had a narrow escape during this first half but are holding on for now.
Vannes scores first
Vannes returned from the locker room with the firm intention of boldly taking their chances. Right from the restart, Martot sent a good cross into the box, but the red and black defense prevented Gimbert from scoring. At the fifty-fourth minute, Sammaritano launched Gimbert in depth, but Letizi won their one-on-one and repelled the shot from the Vannes striker.
Drama struck at the hour mark. Gimbert, on the verge of offside, finds himself alone in front of Letizi. The goalkeeper repelled the attacker’s shot, which bounced off him back to the feet of Khiter, who scored in the open net! A cold shower for the Gym.
Hellebuyck hooks Leugueun who commits the foul and receives a warning. Free kick from eighteen meters, directly in front. Ben Saada’s shot, just entering the game, ends in the wall. There are just over 20 minutes left for Nice to turn the tables. Anthony Modeste and Julien Sablé come in. Three changes in a row for Frédéric Antonetti. The coach from Nice seeks to breathe new life into his team. Bamogo, Mouloungui, and Echouafni, much less visible than in the first half, make way.
OGC Nice throws everything into the battle, driven by its fans. But the Vannetais are well-placed and play the counters to the fullest. Well served by Saada behind the defense, Hellebuyck enters the box but is flagged offside. Time passes for the Niçois, the pressure mounts. It’s hard to see how the Niçois can equalize.
But at the 88th minute, just when hope was fading, Hellebuyck serves Chouki Ben Saada. The former Bastia player relieves the Ray stadium with a beautiful cross shot that nestles into the small net of Revel. Nothing happens then. Overtime.
