Claude Puel’s men sounded the revolt in the second half with 4 goals and promising performances before meeting the same Bretons on their home ground on September 26th for the 16th finals of the Coupe de la Ligue just after the trip to Lorient.
With 1 win and 3 draws, the Brest players came to Nice with some ambition, and the start of the match even proved it with such physical commitment that it forced Mendy to head to the locker room after less than 10 minutes due to a clash with Bauthéac. Ball possession was with Nice in this first quarter-hour, but it was the Brest team through Dernis who saw his lob go over the Azurean goals. The game balanced out at the half-hour mark, and a good free kick from Bauthéac forced Thébaux to punch the ball away.
On the Brest side, Chafni tried hard to break the Nice defense, but once again his shot went over the goal well guarded by Delle. Bauthéac also tried by looking for a partner in the area but was only rewarded with a corner that led to nothing. Not much to chew on, and we were almost glad that the first half ended in a goalless draw.
Sometimes halftime breaks are beneficial, and that seemed the case after just a minute into the second half when Kolodziejczak found Meriem at the edge of the penalty area. The Nice midfielder controlled the ball and followed up with a powerful left-footed shot that ended up in the opposite corner, leaving Thébaux no chance. Le Ray could shout with joy (1-0). Meriem could also be happy, having not scored since March 12, 2011, wearing the colors of Arles-Avignon. He could have even doubled the score seconds later, but this time Thébaux was alert and diverted the ball for a corner. A profitable corner taken by Bauthéac who perfectly found Pejcinovic, who rose and sent his header into the Brest net (2-0). New fervor in the stands of a Ray stadium that knew how to appreciate the event.
The Brest defense retreated, struggling more to contain Nice’s attacks. Eysseric and Meriem combined well, but neither the direct play nor the free kicks attempted by the Nice midfielder found their target. At the hour mark, Pejcinovic even had to intervene to avoid a reduced score after a questionable exit by Delle. Cards rained down on the Bretons, who lost a bit of their composure, and almost logically, after a beautiful collective sequence between Eysseric, Cvitanich, and Bauthéac, the latter placed a nice mid-height shot, deceiving the vigilance of the Brest goalkeeper for the third time (3-0). Victory seemed more assured for the Eagles.
There were about twenty minutes left to play, and it was hard to imagine Brest overturning the game. The play balanced out, and free kicks followed like one taken by Dernis that found Kolodziejczak’s hand, inevitably leading to a penalty converted by Ayité, who sent Delle the wrong way (3-1). There were ten minutes left, and the match pace slowed again while Meriem, cheered by the crowd, was replaced by the young Bosetti, equally acclaimed by Ray. The young Nice native did not take long to make his presence felt and earned applause from fans, running deep down the left side, resisting the return of two Brest players, then aiming his right-footed shot towards the far corner but met with a great save by Thébaux.
The regular time was over, and 3 minutes of additional time were announced. Eysseric then tried a last shot, but it was blocked. No matter, Bauthéac recovered the ball, got past his opponent, and found Eysseric again, who this time scored to increase the lead (4-1). Baysse’s goal at the 93rd minute wouldn’t change much, and the Eagles could savor this beautiful first victory of the season, with four goals in one half and a gameplay that proved effective. Nice placed themselves 10th in the league and could prepare their next challenge in Lorient, who are gearing up for a Sunday derby with neighboring Rennes.
And did the Gym’s season begin last night at Ray?
