In a very disrupted match, OGC Nice won against Nîmes (2-1). The Eagles, dominant in the first half, held their ground to withstand the Crocos’ comeback.
Nice gets a scare
10 yellow cards, 3 red cards. After scoring two goals in fifteen minutes, OGC Nice tried to control the match. Patrick Vieira’s men were dominant but were nevertheless pressured into making mistakes before halftime, with a penalty awarded against Cyprien and converted by Ripart.
In the second half, the Nîmes side gave their all to come back and even had a numerical advantage for nearly 40 minutes (Coly was sent off in the 53rd minute). The Crocos lacked luck, as exemplified by Ferhat’s shot hitting the post (55th minute) or the uncalled handballs by Nice players in the box. This frustration for the Nîmes team culminated at the end of the match with two red cards in stoppage time.
The goals
0-1 (10th minute): Ganago’s devastating move! Entering the box from the right, the Nice forward dribbles past Briançon to move inside. The Nîmes defender touches the ball with his arm while tackling and gives a penalty to Nice! Wylan Cyprien steps up to beat Bernardoni.
0-2 (15th minute): On a tightly executed free kick by Wylan Cyprien, Ignatius Ganago nudges the ball with his right knee at the penalty spot. The ball ends up under the bar of a helpless Paul Bernardoni.
1-2 (45th minute): Cyprien tries to defend in the penalty area but misses his tackle. After a video review, Nîmes is awarded a penalty easily converted by Renaud Ripart.
Wylan Cyprien (Nice) is named man of the match: 1 goal, 1 assist, and 1 conceded penalty. Wylan Cyprien influenced the match throughout. The midfielder first shined at Costières and put his opponents back on track. However, despite his mistake, the former Lens player stayed focused and ended with good stats: 81% successful passes, 1 key pass, 61 touches.
After 40 minutes of a very high level, Nice got a scare by reviving the Crocos with a penalty that was a rookie error. The Eagles, struggling in the second half, especially after Coly’s exclusion, can particularly thank Clémentia’s post on Ferhat’s shot.
As for the Crocos, there will be many regrets. Having been off their game during the first 20 minutes, the Nîmes team regained their composure to reduce the score just before halftime. In the second half, Nîmes pushed hard but failed to break through.
Nice concludes its second day of Ligue 1 with a second consecutive victory.
Now for the Southern derby, the Gym will host Olympique de Marseille on Wednesday, August 28.
