This Saturday evening, the Gym hosted Le Havre as part of the 13th day of Ligue 1. After a match played in two phases, the Aiglons narrowly defeated the Normans (2-1).
It was the last home game of the year for the Aiglons. After two heavy consecutive losses (against the Rangers and then away against OL), OGC Nice wanted to react against Le Havre. Despite their recent difficult performances, Franck Haise‘s men remain in the race for the Top 5. With a win against the Normans, Tanguy Ndombele‘s teammates could temporarily take 5th place in the standings. Opposite them, the Niçois would face a well-known figure of the club: Didier Digard. The former player and coach of the Gym has been leading HAC since last summer. Under his direction, the Le Havre club is fighting to maintain its position and currently occupies the playoff spot in the standings.
Regarding the lineup, Franck Haise still lamented numerous absences. For this match, no fewer than eleven red and black players were out due to injury. Hicham Boudaoui made his return to the Nice starting eleven. Up front, Evann Guessand was paired with Badredine Bouanani, the in-form player in the Gym’s squad. Finally, Pablo Rosario again deputized in central defense.
Uninspired Niçois
Suffocated by their opponent, the Niçois started this match with difficulty. The first twenty minutes went in favor of the Normans. From a corner, Sofiane Diop even backed up Marcin Bulka by clearing the ball off the line. The Aiglons were very close to punishment! The Azurian build-up was laborious, and the slow pace of the game didn’t help either.
OGC Nice was not very dangerous in this first half. The best chance for Nice fell to Tom Louchet. The long-range shot from the full-back eventually hit the crossbar. Badredine Bouanani fared no better. The attacking midfielder’s shot did not find the target of the opposing goal.
Improvement in the second half
Pablo Rosario‘s teammates returned from the locker room with better intentions. After a good domination, OGC Nice earned a penalty, following a handball in the opposition area. Gaëtan Laborde did not flinch and opened the score (1-0, 55’). The Gym was finally in its match.
Less troubled by a not very dangerous opponent, Nice managed their match calmly and acted on the counter-attack. In a fast transition phase, Laborde perfectly set up Badredine Bouanani. The attacking midfielder opened his scoring account this season in Ligue 1 and doubled the lead in this match (2-0, 75’). Gautier Lloris‘s goal in stoppage time changed nothing (2-1, 90+3’). With difficulty, the Niçois secured the win and found their way back to victory. This success allows Franck Haise‘s men to climb temporarily to 5th place in Ligue 1.
The next match is on Thursday, December 12, for the Gym. OGC Nice will face Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, for their last hopes of qualification in the Europa League. Kickoff is at 6:45 PM.
