After halftime, the Bretons raise their level of play. The intensity increases. The Eaglets have only their courage to oppose. They very rarely cross the halfway line. The duels are won only by Pierre Dréossi’s players. Olivier Thomert, as minutes go by, transforms from a tall man to a colossus. Jimmy Briand turns from a nice little spry player into a tightrope walker who magnetizes the ball. Jérôme Leroy starts using his third lung. In short, the Nice ogres during the first 45 minutes become little thumbs in the next 45.
Olivier Thomert almost opened the score in the 11th minute. Alone before Hugo Lloris, the last Azurian line of defense, he watches his shot die on the right post. Otherwise, it was all red and black. Frédéric Antonetti has remedied the tactical issue from the match against Strasbourg during the second day. He set up three defensive midfielders: Olivier Echouafni, Florent Balmont, and David Hellebuyck. In this system, Florent Balmont shines. He engages. He defends and builds with a free spirit. Captain Chouf covers him. Ederson also seems more comfortable, less confined. He roams across the width of the pitch, placing himself higher. More liberated, he dares more. And by daring more, he is dangerous. The Eaglets are compact. The ball carrier has more options. Lilian Laslandes can either slow down by giving the ball back to his midfielders or launch the arrow Baky Koné. It is this latter option that he uses perfectly in the 25th minute. The small Ivorian striker opens the scoring, and Nice is rewarded for their strong start to the match.
At halftime, Laslandes is replaced by Habib Bamogo. A change in attacking style. The former Marseille and Montpellier player has nothing to blame himself for, but Laslandes’ physical impact was sorely missed in the second half. Only the two central defenders, Vincent Hognon and Cédric Kanté, serious and diligent, competed physically. Florent Balmont runs more and more into empty space and wears himself out. David Hellebuyck as well, losing lucidity during his clearances. Everything was deteriorating on the OGC Nice side. The exit of Koné for Barul, placed at left-back, isolates Bamogo in the front of the attack. The Bretons gain in speed of execution with the entry of young Sylvain Marveaux and the very lively Ladjhi Badiane on the left wing of the attack. What was bound to happen happened. In the 86th minute, a collective play allows the former Nice player (jeered at) Rod Fanni to be released on the right side.
He delivers a perfect cross that Hugo Lloris can only deflect to Jimmy Briand, who propels the ball into the net. 1-1. Nice gave in physically. One must acknowledge the Breton superiority, which could have even secured a win at the very end of the match with a Badiane shot deflected by Lloris.
Nice is still not reassured. The opponent was of quality. The Eaglets will need to offset their inferiority to some teams with extra combativeness. To do this, one needs to be physically at the top. This is not currently the case. They will need to be for the next Saturday reception of Toulouse. Let’s stay positive at Nice Premium. 11th with 4 points in the standings: the Niçois are far from being in a catastrophic situation. Carpe diem.
