We had hoped for it in our paper yesterday, and the young eagles finally did it by claiming a win at the Stadium Lille Métropole thanks to brilliant inspirations from Civelli and Maupay. This victory places them in the fourth position on the leaderboard with points in their pocket and an upcoming match against Bordeaux on Sunday at 5 pm, who were defeated on their home ground by PSG (0-1). It’s a great way to prepare for the week for Claude Puel, thrilled on multiple accounts.
But, besides being good, the Nice players were courageous and patient in a match where the Lille team never really measured up to their opponents. Admittedly, the first half was harder to negotiate for the teammates of a battleground leader named Civelli. Fortunately, David Ospina was there and he returned to his best with a perfectly timed intervention in front of a Payet who already saw himself victorious in his faceoff. Note the excellent free kick by Eysseric that could have found the net if Elana hadn’t brilliantly intervened, as he did on Abriel’s more distant but well-placed attempt. Ultimately, the scoreless draw was fairly logical when Mr. Bien sent both teams back to the locker rooms.
The second half did not inspire either team in the early minutes, and the approximately 38,000 spectators at the Stadium didn’t have much to feast their eyes on. Dario Cvitanich tried to unsettle the Lille defense with his runs, but his volleyed shot was unusually off target during a good foray into the northerners’ area. A short-lived celebration followed after a goal by Marvin Martin, but the joy was fleeting as it was rightly ruled offside. The minutes ticked by, and the draw was a great performance for the young eagles, who thus attempted to get closer to Elana’s goal.
Barely had PEdretti left the field amid Stadium whistles when the hammer fell. Bauthéac took a free kick and delivered a splendid cross directly to Renato Civelli’s head, who eliminated Roux and nailed Elana for a well-deserved lead. Claude Puel then decided to bring in the young Maupay for the last quarter-hour, and it’s fair to say the Côte d’Azur coach made a savvy choice. Initially providing a pass to Eysseric, whose shot was stopped by Elana, he played the fox in the box in the 84th minute, fooling the Lille goalkeeper for the second time that evening.
Rudi Garcia’s men could not recover and even faced chants from the stands in memory of Hazard, Sow, Cabaye, Rami, and Gervinho, heroes of the 2011 double conquest. For the Nice players, it was nearly a perfect match, and their return to the Côte d’Azur was undoubtedly delightful with this splendid victory and, more importantly, three points in their bags.
The appointment is set for next Sunday at 5 pm at Stade du Ray, for a match that will be one of confirmation for the Nice team and one of redemption for Bordeaux.
Photo credit: www.ogcnice.com
