For this match, Patrick Vieira decides to field his team in a 4-3-3 formation. Benitez guards the goal. In defense, Dante and Danilo are positioned in the center. Burner regains a starting position on the right side, and N’Soki on the left. In midfield, the French trio of Thuram, Lees-Melou, and Claude-Maurice is retained. Finally, in attack, Boudaoui, who has delivered very convincing performances, is started on the right wing. Myziane Maolida is lined up on the left. Dolberg plays as the central forward.
The Nice team finds the breakthrough in the 6th minute. From a long precise pass by Benitez, the ball lands at Maolida’s feet as he advances down the right side. Nearing the penalty area, he pauses with the ball and finds Claude-Maurice in the center. The former Lorient player manages to feint his shot to get past the Nîmes defender and curls a shot that nestles into Bernardoni’s bottom corner. It’s Claude-Maurice’s first goal in the red and black colors, which he fully deserves given his recent matches.
But during this first half, the Gym is completely overwhelmed in just two minutes.
First, from a corner taken from the right that is intercepted by Loïck Landre. The ball deceives Benitez, powerless on his line (43rd minute).
Then, on the following play, Nîmes finds themselves attacking again and scores a second goal through Philippoteaux. The Nîmes player takes advantage of a misunderstanding in the Nice penalty area to retrieve the ball at the far post and strikes on the half-volley. The ball passes between Benitez’s legs and ends up in the back of the net. Nice is lucky because, at the start of the play, Yassine Benrahou lightly touches the ball with his forearm. The referee calls for a VAR check and confirms his assistants’ decision. The goal is disallowed. Both teams head to the locker rooms with a tied score.
In the second half, the Gym does not improve its situation. Indeed, Boudaoui receives a direct red card for a very dangerous tackle on Philippoteaux’s ankle (49th minute).
A few minutes later, with the advantage of 11 players against 10, Nîmes manages to score a second goal. From a distant free-kick, Dolberg manages to head the ball away. But it lands back at the feet of Philippoteaux, once again, who strikes it low to deceive Benitez (53rd minute).
Nîmes seals their victory at the end of the match through Moussa Koné, who came on as a substitute, taking advantage of Lees-Melou’s misjudgment of the ball to go solo from the center circle and beat Benitez (90+3).
The Nice team thus makes a poor showing on this 24th day of Ligue 1 by losing at home to Nîmes. In the standings, Nice is provisionally in 11th place with 33 points.
