This Sunday, OGC Nice traveled to FC Metz’s pitch as part of the 12th day of Ligue 1. After another disappointing performance, the Aiglons were logically overturned by their Metz opponent (1-2).
Heading to Moselle for OGC Nice! The Aiglons had an appointment on FC Metz’s pitch this Sunday, with the ambition of bouncing back after a difficult week. Franck Haise’s players wanted to get back on track in Ligue 1 after the cruel defeat last weekend against Paris Saint-Germain (0-1). Despite providing a solid team performance, Melvin Bard’s teammates conceded in the final seconds, on the last corner of the game. A frustrating result for the club from the Azur Coast, who were so close to securing a valuable point on the league leader’s field.
With Dante absent and Melvin Bard on the bench, it was Charles Vanhoutte who wore the captain’s armband for OGC Nice. Having arrived this summer on the Côte d’Azur, the Belgian inherited this heavy responsibility for the first time this season. The return to the starting eleven of Jonathan Clauss, after some unclear events surrounding his contract situation, was the other surprise in Franck Haise’s starting lineup. The French international hadn’t played any minutes since October 26, during Nice’s victory at Rennes (2-1). The defender had even scored the second goal for the Gym during that victory.
Not dazzling, but the Gym leads at the break
Facing an FC Metz in form (two victories in its last two Ligue 1 outings), OGC Nice timidly tested the waters at the start of the match. The Niçois conceded the first opportunities of this match. The Aiglons struggled to inject pace and ignite this first act. The Gym had few chances, such as this header from Kevin Carlos, well found by a cross from Jonathan Clauss, but he did not hit the target of the Metz goal.
Yet it was indeed OGC Nice that opened the scoring in this match (0-1, 35’). On a fast transition, Charles Vanhoutte perfectly passed to Mohamed-Ali Cho. At the edge of the FC Metz box, the red and black striker executed a beautiful curling shot that was unstoppable, unlocking the scoreboard on the first real opportunity. An almost unexpected advantage allowed Kojo Oppong’s teammates to lead at halftime.
Nice falls apart after the break
The Niçois gameplay did not improve at the start of the second half. Worse still, Juma Bah conceded a penalty for excessive shirt pulling on Habib Diallo, which, after VAR consultation, was confirmed by the images. Gautier Hein held his nerve against Yehvann Diouf and brought the two teams level (1-1, 51’). Once again, by conceding too much, the Gym was punished. Generally dominated by more creative Messins, the Gym’s response was slow to come. Franck Haise turned to his bench, but the substitutes did not provide the solution hoped for by the Aiglons’ coach. Returning from injury, Terem Moffi was reintroduced without success at the end of this encounter.
We are starting to become familiar with the match scenarios of this OGC Nice 2025/26. And it was going to be repeated once more on the red and black side. Again very disappointing this afternoon, Hicham Boudaoui’s teammates fell apart at the end of the encounter. Found deep, Habib Diallo got past Antoine Mendy before beating Diouf at close range. FC Metz logically took the lead (2-1, 84’). Another poor operation for the Gym, the club from the Azur Coast let important points slip away, cementing a second consecutive defeat in Ligue 1. In the standings, the Aiglons are stuck in place and miss the opportunity to close in on the European positions.
It’s now time for the last international break of 2025 for the Gym. After two weeks of rest, OGC Nice will return on November 21st for a heated derby against Olympique de Marseille at the Allianz Riviera. Kickoff for this clash—which will take place on the 13th day of Ligue 1—is scheduled for 9 PM.
