The Gym shared points with FC Nantes on the 26th day of L1 (1-1). At the end of a match that didn’t result in a breathtaking spectacle, the Aiglons put an end to their bad streak.
Quickly ahead thanks to a goal from Dante, who took advantage of a cross from Lees-Melou deflected by Girotto to open the score with a fierce slide (1-0, 5’), the red and black ship sailed between two waters for a long time but ultimately didn’t have enough fuel to move forward again. This was also due to an organized and disciplined Nantes team (though not lyrical).
Following a burst from Saint-Maximin, Plea, in the center, hit the post with an open-foot shot (14’), and was caught in extremis by the yellow defense after a cross from his number 7.
Claudio Ranieri’s men played in their typical style. Solid and compact (in a highly disciplined 4-2-3-1), they were rarely dangerous but imposed physical pressure on the locals. And in this little game, Emiliano Sala remains a real burden for a defense. Tenacious, persistent, and good at holding the ball, the number 9 lingered like a fox in the box but missed his first volley (22’). He took advantage of an unnecessary foul by Patrick Burner in the box to equalize with a confident penalty (1-1, 27’).
Despite a few opportunities on both sides (Sala’s shot wide and Girotto’s into Benitez’s niche, then Seri’s over), the 22 players returned to the locker room on equal terms.
A perfect intervention by Coly – who delivered a very neat performance – perfectly shut the door, preventing Sala from finishing a Thomasson cross (47’), keeping the score level. As the minutes passed, the exchanges gradually lost intensity. Too sloppy, both sides hardly created any chances in the second half. The Aiglons didn’t really capitalize on the series of corners they gained, apart from a scramble where Mario quickly turned and struck with one step. But his shot was caught by Tatarusanu (68′).
Lucien Favre tried to energize the last quarter-hour with the entries of Srarfi and Cyprien. In the end, the Gym had a match point on a corner, but Lees-Melou’s header was deflected by the Nantes goalkeeper, and nothing more happened.
With one point, Nice ends its bad spell in L1 (3 consecutive defeats), before heading to Russia on Thursday, where they will have to pull off a feat.
LUCIEN FAVRE’S REACTION
It was not bad in the game. We had possession, especially in the second half. I think we deserved to take the three points. We will settle for one. Nantes had two chances, us 3-4 no more but overall we deserved it. In our play, we never really doubted. But we must be more realistic, both offensively and defensively. No penalty, no red card. We tell ourselves that before the match. It’s crucial. We must not foul in the box. But there are positional errors, from two or three players, which put us in difficulty. This season we’ve made a lot of such mistakes. On that action, there was no danger at all. It’s a gift.
DANTE’S REACTION
We could have done better, that’s all. We shouldn’t start pointing fingers at anyone. We have a lot of young players; small mistakes are normal. When we win, we win together; when we lose, it’s the same. We have to stay positive, focused, and continue working hard because we have a lot to improve. I’m happy to score in front of our supporters. But honestly, I would have preferred someone else scored, we won 1-0 and that was it. I was so happy when I wasn’t scoring but we were winning matches. I go home today with a bad taste. I’m disappointed.
