OGC Nice falls 2-1 on the field of Montpellier after having led in the score. The Aiglons’ fifth match without a win pushes the team down the standings, now sitting in 13th place. The relegation zone is not far off, and another away game looms next Saturday in Bastia.
This Gym is not scoring many points since early February and is starting to worry. The cause is chronic inefficiency that weighs down the matches for Claude Puel’s men. The cushion of points from January has dwindled, and Nice is genuinely looking downward. With 34 points, safety is not assured. Suffice it to say, the upcoming matches in Bastia and Guingamp are pivotal. The objective: bring back points.
The opening minutes clearly favor Rolland Courbis’ men, who apply pressure to the frail Nice team. Yet, the first clear opportunity is for the Azureans. Carlos Eduardo’s shot is clear but the Montpellier goalkeeper, Jourdren, intervenes (0-0, 7th minute). Following this action, Amavi’s cross finds Plea’s head, forcing the goalkeeper to make a save to rescue his team (0-0, 9th minute). The contacts are numerous and rough, exemplified by the hard tackle from Carlos Eduardo on Congré. The Brazilian midfielder deserved a red card but escapes with a yellow card.
Nothing more until the 33rd minute. The Amavi-Hult combination on the left works wonders. The Swede enters the area and is jostled by Deplagne. Mr. Buquet points to the penalty spot. Harsh. Eric Bauthéac wrong-foots Jourdren and ends a 6-hour 50-minute goal drought (0-1, 34th minute). But at the very end of the first half, at the worst possible moment, Nice breaks. Amavi’s clearance is too short, Dabo, forgotten behind the defense, takes advantage and blasts past Mouez Hassen (1-1, 44th minute). Hard for morale.
“At the start of the match, we weren’t focused, we were surprised without being punished. We reacted by creating great chances and opened the score. It’s really a shame to concede this goal before halftime (Dabo in the 44th minute). It was avoidable. There are things we shouldn’t do, we’ll try to work on that in training this week,” details Romain Genevois.
The second half is just as engaging, with play from both sides and intentions on a pitch in excellent condition. On the first hot action, Jordan Amavi seems to be jostled in the area but the refereeing trio remains unmoved (1-1, 47th minute). On the Montpellier side, the Sanson-Mounier duo causes damage and pushes their team closer to Mouez Hassen’s goal. A well-executed action by the Héraultais puts the Nice defense in trouble. Camara slips between the red-and-black defenders, is stopped by the Nice goalkeeper, but the passive defense forgets Lucas Barrios, who, with a simple strike, gives Montpellier the advantage (2-1, 66th minute). The last quarter-hour is totally in MHSC’s favor, who could have increased the score without decisive saves from Hassen and good recoveries from the central pair Diawara-Genevois.
Nice is now 13th in the standings with a five-point lead over Toulouse, 18th and the first non-relegation position. At the same time, Nantes, in eighth, is only two points away. So, everything can change very quickly. In a week it’s “derby” in Bastia, and we all remember the scenario of the first leg match…
Photo credit: OGC Nice Media
