Like last year, OGC Nice and FC Nantes ended in a 0-0 draw. The Eagles had all the clear chances but lacked efficiency. A slight setback for the Gym before heading to Lille for the next matchday.
It didn’t take a fortune teller to predict a 0-0 scoreline for this Nice-Nantes match; just remembering last season’s game was enough. Nice was aiming for their third consecutive home victory, but it didn’t happen. Nantes wanted to bring back a point from the French Riviera, and they succeeded. Regrets are clearly on the side of the red and blacks, who took 19 shots on goal with 10 on target.
No surprises during the first quarter of an hour of the match. Slow pace, no clear chances except for a shot by Bedoya (3rd minute) or a small volley from Alassane Plea (6th minute). Like last season (a very modest 0-0), it was a very tactical encounter with both teams trying to take control of the midfield. In this little game, the Mendy-Hult duo stands out again. Eric Bauthéac came close to being sent off after a very dangerous tackle on Bammou (16th minute).
The match picked up (a little) around the half-hour mark with a header from Valentin Eysseric well saved by Riou (25th minute). A testament to Nice’s dominance, Claude Puel’s men took 8 shots on goal in 30 minutes compared to 3 for the Nantes team. Just before halftime, Plea perfectly set up Carlos Eduardo, who beat Riou with a powerful header but was wrongly flagged offside (41st minute). The score was goalless at halftime.
The dynamic didn’t change in the second half. The Gym attacked, while FCN focused on defending well. On his part, Mouez Hassen was rarely called into action. His only intervention was clean, as he perfectly stopped Nkoudou’s shot (55th minute). Despite the two lines of four laid out by the Nantes coach, Nice managed, through their speed and quality passing, to create chances. The best opportunity came in the 63rd minute when Bauthéac did excellent work on the right side before crossing for Plea, who played it back to Eysseric. Unfortunately, the Gym’s number 10’s shot brushed past the post of the Nantes goalkeeper.
A few minutes later, Amavi outran the yellow and green defense and crossed for Plea, who executed a perfect move only to see Hansen block his ball at the last moment as it headed for the top corner (66th minute). The substitutions of Constant, Bosetti, and then Albert changed nothing. Bosetti stood out but his shot was too weak and was easily caught by Riou (81st minute).
“There is disappointment because, considering the match, we deserved better than a draw. We would have liked to be ahead of Nantes but they defended well. It’s two points lost but mentally, it’s good not to lose. We continue on our positive momentum,” Souleymane Diawara said optimistically in the mixed zone.
Nice remains tied for eighth place at the end of this 24th matchday. The Eagles could have made a great move and come within five points of Monaco, who are fifth, but instead, they manage to keep a good distance from the relegation zone (10 points). Next match at Lille, 11th, who are gaining momentum with a 2-1 victory at Montpellier. A trip up north for a 6th unbeaten match in 2015?
Photo credit and more information at www.ogcnice.com
