It’s not the smallest score as the eaglets are finally defeated by their Marseillais neighbors who took the lead after fifteen minutes and kept it until the final whistle. A missed opportunity for Claude Puel’s protรฉgรฉs who undoubtedly deserved to snatch an equalizer at the end of the match.
All the ingredients were there for a great football event in a sold-out and red-and-black-colored Stade du Ray. The weather was nice after a rainy week, Dario Cvitanich was back on the field… In short, all that was left was to win to remain in the Top 5 of the championship alongside PSG, Marseille, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, and Lille. But the Provencals had other plans, and from the first minutes of the game, the Olympians left their mark on the match without managing to be dangerous.
Finally, from a corner, Marseille took the lead with Valbuena taking the kick and Gignac, often mocked at the Stade du Ray for his weight, heading the ball beautifully into Ospina’s net at the near post. Immediately, Dario Cvitanich touches his first ball in the Phocaean box but his header does not trouble a well-positioned Mandanda. Nice presses, and from a free kick, Rod Fanni, the former Nice player, nearly scores an own goal when attempting to clear with his head, and Kevin Anin’s rebound was superbly cleared by Mandanda. It’s now Ospina’s turn to successfully parry against Gignac, and halftime arrives with a reasonably logical advantage for the visitors.
Back from the locker room, the eaglets try to spread their wings with Pied finding Bauthรฉac, but the Nice player’s shot results in nothing. Camel Meriem also takes a shot, and once again, Mandanda, with a new save, turns it into a corner. Claude Puel then makes his coaching changes, replacing Anin with Bosetti and Meriem with Traorรฉ. Bauthรฉac, still lively, challenges the Marseille defense and earns a good free kick about twenty meters from the goal. Digard hits it powerfully and low, but his attempt misses by a few centimeters, with Mandanda beaten. The minutes ticked by with no change. It’s Marseille who could have doubled their lead in the closing minutes, but Jordan Ayew’s shot lacked precision, hitting the net from the outside. There’s nothing to report in additional time, and it’s OM who make the advantageous move of the evening by winning in Nice and taking second place in the standings after Lyon’s home defeat against Sochaux (1-2).
A defeat that they will need to digest this week before going, next Saturday, to challenge the Toulouse side who won at Ajaccio (2-3) but have been unable to find the net at home with two draws in their last two matches against Bordeaux and Evian.
Could this trip make the Eaglets see life in pink again?
Photo credit: www.ogcnice.com
