A logical defeat, but with their numbers reduced to ten just after the hour mark, the Nice players could not hope for better against a Parisian armada determined to keep the Marseillais at a good distance before the final sprint of the last five days. The Nice team remains in sixth place in the standings before hosting Troyes next Sunday at the Ray.
From the start of the game, the Parisians set the pace and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was very close to opening the scoring in the early minutes, but Ospina’s left post saved the Nice goalkeeper. However, a few minutes later, after a brilliant play by Lavezzi who bypassed Ospina, it was Menez who scored the opener in the 10th minute (1-0). In his second encounter with the French striker, David Ospina remained composed and made a fine save against the close-range shot of the Parisian point player. Parisian domination did not wane, and the rare Nice incursions were not truly dangerous. Giants clashed between Ibrahimovic and Civelli, both receiving yellow cards, and Mr. Chapron sent both teams to the locker rooms with a logical but slight advantage for the Parisians.
Both teams returned to the field of the Parc with the same 22 players, and again it was the Parisians who went on the offensive with a shot from Lavezzi, deflected at the last moment by Pejconovic, who sacrificed himself by throwing his body in front of the Argentine’s attempt. Abriel replaced the injured Traorรฉ as they reached the hour mark. One could sense the Azur players’ nervousness, and on a back pass from Digard, David Ospina hesitated on a clearance which eventually favored Lavezzi, who was stopped irregularly by the Nice goalkeeper. A penalty and the logical expulsion of the Azur goalkeeper were replaced by Joris Delle, who was very close to saving Ibrahimovic’s shot (2-0). A terrible double punishment for the Nice players, who would play the last 20 minutes outnumbered. Thiago Silva, at the end of the race, scored a goal as superb as it was surprising, but the ball had previously crossed the boundaries of the field.
It was clear the Nice team was no longer truly in the match, but that did not prevent Joris Delle from blocking a new attempt by Zlatan. The Parisians continued to apply pressure, and with two minutes left, Chantรดme, perfectly served by the Swedish giant, sealed the score in the empty goal (3-0). It was indeed time for it to end, and the final whistle soon put an end to Nice’s ordeal.
The miracle did not happen in the capital, and now they must focus on the visit of the bottom team Troyes, next Sunday at 2 PM at the Stade du Ray, to continue dreaming of Europe.
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