Facing a team from Lorraine that came to play for a draw and was not helped by questionable refereeing, the Aiglons had to settle for sharing the points (0-0). A draw that does not favor the Gym, caught up by Monaco in the evening.
Nice still hasn’t won in 2017. After an unlucky elimination at Lorient (2-1), the Niรงois were, this time, not dangerous enough against a grouped and efficient Metz. Facing Lucien Favre’s experimental 3-4-3, Metz played their chances. Fortunately for Nice, the Grenats were as clumsy as the Aiglons.
The afternoon began with a touching tribute to Guillaume Bertolino, a journalist from Nice-Matin who suddenly passed away last Sunday. But without many of its key players (Seri, Belhanda, Walter, Cardinale, Balotelli), the Gym resorted to makeshifts. Dalbert and Ricardo were on the wings, with a defense of Sarr-Baysse-Dante-Souquet, and Plรฉa up front.
The visitors created the first opportunity when Nguette did a little technical show and concluded his move with a shot that Walter Benitez deftly saved (14′). The tone was set: the Aiglons would have to attack while seriously managing counterattacks to earn points. They only performed the second half of this task, adding just one point to their tally.
Initially, the Aiglons struggled to get into the right rhythm. They held the ball without the breakthroughs that usually trouble their visitors. In the first half, they picked up the pace as the minutes passed, but the score remained unchanged. Just before the half-hour mark, Ricardo accelerated and attempted a shot just outside the box, but the Portuguese’s shotโwho could also have served Souquet behind himโwas deflected by a Metz defender.
Then Vincent Koziello penetrated the box and shot with his left foot, unsuccessfully. Immediately after, Arnaud Souquet, very active on the right of the red-and-black midfield, surged forward, shot, but was blocked by Didillon. The locals truly began to put pressure on the Messins and could have led just before the break when Paul Baysse back-heeled a Wylan Cyprien corner, and Dante barely touched the ball (42′).
The Aiglons nearly got punished at the start of the second half on a Metz free kick, which ended with Renaud Cohade alone in the six-yard box. Walter Benitez made a brilliant save with his body, preventing them from chasing the score. A precious factor in such a tight match. The slow rhythm of the first half continued after the pause. The Rouge and Noir sputtered without really getting going. But they never gave up: set up at the right moment by a very swift Ricardo, Alassane Plรฉa unleashed a powerful shot that ended at the foot of the opposing post (66′).
This would be the best chance for a Gym that definitely didn’t have the legs to win on this Sunday. The Aiglons seemed to slow down and gave up for good at the start of the final quarter of an hour, not helped by questionable officiating (Bartolomeu Varela stood out with contradictory decisions) and a poorly maintained pitch.
Nice loses two points and sees its rivals Monaco and Paris, who were victorious this weekend, catching up. The Gym has eighteen matches left to hope for a remarkable feat. The first final will take place on Friday at 8:45 PM, at the Stade de Furiani, in Bastia.
The stat: one year
Usually particularly spoiled in this regard, the Allianz Riviera’s audience witnessed its first 0-0 in the championship in ages (since November 2015 against Lille). At any rate, it was the first match without a goal scored by their players since February 2016, when they hosted Bastia (0-2).
Held to a draw before the break in Bordeaux, the Aiglons haven’t scored in their last two Ligue 1 matches, as many as in the previous 28.
Lucien Favre’s reaction:
It was a very difficult, very complicated match. I expected it. With a 0-0, it’s okay; we can live with one point. There were half-chances; both teams could have won. Since the start of the season, all the matches have been difficult, without exception. We can’t say we lost two points given the match’s dynamics. We lacked penetration, the final passes. We knew that with the African Cup, injuries would leave us without key players. That’s how it is. In terms of the transfer market, it’s very difficult to find players who could be immediately effective unless you spend money we don’t have. We must not complain and work with the squad we have.
Dante’s reaction:
We lacked energy, forward power. We did everything to get the 3 points; we couldn’t do it this time. We need to continue working and improving in all areas. Especially in intensity, vision, passing play, and duels. When you have three key offensive players absent (Balotelli, Belhanda, Seri), you feel it. But it wouldn’t have been easy with them either. On the other hand, the players who replaced them also stepped up. I commend those who came in; they always show they have talent. It was not a question of one, two, or three players: it was a collective issue in terms of the attitude.
