This Sunday, the Gym hosted LOSC at the Allianz Riviera. After a great performance, the Aiglons secured a draw (2-2) with a goal from Tom Louchet in the last seconds of the game.
Matchday with significant stakes for the Gym! OGC Nice had the chance to break into the Top 4 of Ligue 1 for the first time this season. But to do so, they first needed to defeat LOSC this Sunday afternoon. The task promised to be far from easy. The Lille team had been unbeaten in the league since mid-September. Three days after their mixed performance against Twente (2-2), the Niçois had to show a different face in front of their home crowd at the Allianz Riviera.
Regarding the lineup, Franck Haise made some changes compared to the eleven fielded in the Europa League on Thursday. The offensive trio was completely revamped. Evann Guessand, Mohamed-Ali Cho, and Jérémie Boga all returned to the starting lineup. This was also the case for Pablo Rosario. The Dutch midfielder was suspended against Twente. Finally, Dante started on the bench.
Nice Trailed Against the Run of Play
Nice started the match well. However, against the run of play, Moïse Bombito‘s teammates conceded the opening goal (0-1, 17’). Beaten in a race, Youssouf Ndayishimiye allowed Mattias Fernandez-Pardo to run clear to the goal. Stunned, the Niçois then chased the ball for the remainder of the first half-hour.
Focusing on transitions, OGC Nice created several opportunities without really threatening Lucas Chevalier’s goal. The Aiglons lacked precision in the final pass and shot. Though superior, Franck Haise‘s men went back to the locker rooms trailing on the scoreboard after an enjoyable 45 minutes of play.
The Successful Substitutions by Franck Haise
Right at halftime, the OGC Nice coach attempted a gamble. Exit Melvin Bard, shift to a four-man defense with the entry of Sofiane Diop. The Moroccan took up a number 10 position in a system closely mirroring LOSC‘s. The tactical choice proved victorious. Perfectly served by Jonathan Clauss, the attacking midfielder equalized for the Gym (1-1, 56’). Well deserved for the Aiglons. Was it enough to overturn the match? Not quite!
Reawakened, the Lille players regained possession control. On alert after Benjamin André’s shot hit the post, Mitchell Bakker had all the time he needed to adjust Marcin Bulka (1-2, 66’). Following this goal, Nice pushed to equalize again, without managing to score a second time. Until the very last free kick in injury time. On the rebound from the second ball, Tom Louchet caught Chevalier off guard (2-2, 90’). At the very end, the Gym snatched a point from this encounter. In the standings, this point allowed Franck Haise‘s men to maintain their 5th place in Ligue 1.
Now it’s time for another international break. The Aiglons will return in two weeks, on November 24. OGC Nice will face Strasbourg as part of the 12th round of Ligue 1. Kick-off is at 8:45 PM.
