After five consecutive defeats, the Eagles of Nice were hoping to bounce back against Gap in a derby.
Stanislav Sutor’s team had no choice left. After an excellent start to the season, the team from Nice faltered with five consecutive defeats. Now 5th in the standings, they were hosting Gap (4th). This derby promised to be intense with the team from Nice eager to return to victory. On the other hand, the visitors wanted to secure their third consecutive win.
An intense start to the match
The match starts with a bang for the home team. They show aggression and determination right from the kickoff. Forwards Peter Hrehorcak and Loïc Chabert combined perfectly before setting up Michal Popelka. The Czech striker won his duel against the opposing goalkeeper, Julian Junca, with a powerful shot under the bar (1-0, 2nd minute).
This ideal start was unfortunately not confirmed by Nice. On their first real opportunity, Gap managed to respond. Young forwards Paul Joubert and Louis Cirgues attempted to beat Rok Stojanovic. The Slovenian goalkeeper for the Eagles deflected the ball to Dimitri Thillet’s feet. The visiting striker made no mistake in equalizing (1-1, 5th minute).
The Eagles appeared more dangerous in this first period. More determined, they won their duels. However, they lacked efficiency in front of Junca’s goal. Meanwhile, the Raptors from Gap relied more on counter-attacks. At the end of the first period, the suspense remained high, and both teams were tied on the scoreboard (1-1).
Gap takes the lead in the second period
The second period clearly turned in favor of Gap. The visitors put pressure on Stojanovic’s goal, exemplified by forward Fabien Colotti. His attempt hit the crossbar. But it was only a matter of time. Benefiting from good teamwork by Thillet and Joubert, forward Romain Chapuis gave the Raptors the lead with a close-range shot (1-2, 5th minute).
Contacts became rougher in this second period. Gap forward Julien Correia left the ice after being hit in the face with the puck. Tension was felt between the two teams. However, the Eagles struggled to be dangerous. Gap came close to extending their lead, but Colotti once again hit Stojanovic’s crossbar.
The last opportunity fell to the Eagles. Hrehorcak was twice denied by Junca. The Nice forward was at least showing the way forward to his teammates. At the end of the first two periods, Nice was behind on the scoreboard (1-2). However, Stanislav Sutor’s team still had the means to recover. This derby was living up to its promise.
The Eagles lack efficiency
Determined to level the score, the Eagles gave it their all, epitomized by a very inspired Popelka. Most of the play occurred in Gap’s area. The visitors, well-positioned in defense, only counter-attacked. Nice lost Slovak forward Radomir Heizer to a shoulder injury after a heavy impact.
Nice continued their domination. Forwards Ondrej Kopta and Tomas Knotek created two significant opportunities in quick succession, but Junca won his duels by deflecting the local attempts. The final minutes were like attack versus defense in favor of the team from Nice. However, the Eagles could not find the net or beat Junca, who was named man of the match.
The team from Nice was ultimately defeated in this derby (1-2). A sixth consecutive loss for Stanislav Sutor’s team. After a strong start to the season, Nice is now in significant trouble. In the standings, the Eagles are sixth, thus virtually qualifying for the playoffs. However, they need to rediscover their taste for victory quickly, possibly from Saturday’s home match against Cergy-Pontoise.
Reaction:
Loïc Chabert (Eagles forward): “We started this match well. It was important to us. We wanted to turn things around after five consecutive defeats. We put on a good performance tonight. We’re lacking luck in front of the goal. Our challenge for the end of the season is to capitalize on these opportunities. It’s been a bit more challenging lately. It’s a special season with COVID-19. We’re trying to give it our all. It hasn’t been working out for us recently, but we’ll try to turn things around. Playing another match on Saturday with some rhythm can only benefit us. We need to keep working, hold our heads high, and move forward. Our goal is to finish as high as possible in the standings.”
