Paris Saint Germain easily defeated OGC Nice (3-0) at the Ray Stadium on Sunday, February 20, 2011, during the 24th round of the Ligue 1 championship. A loss for Nice that highlights their defensive fragility and especially the impotence of their attackers in front of the goal at a decisive moment of the season in the view of staying up.
To think that PSG hadn’t beaten OGC Nice at the Ray since the 2003-2004 season (1-2). Indeed, every good streak has an end. And what an end! Without giving a lesson to the Niçois in terms of play, the Parisians demonstrated offensive realism this Sunday, February 20, 2011, in the postponed match of the 24th round of Ligue 1. They scored three goals from the six clear chances they created. Without being spectacular, PSG managed to display a calm demeanor and play a clean game, free from significant errors.
A class apart
Quite the opposite of the Niçois. Eric Roy’s players certainly showed their desire, especially in the first half. Unfortunately, this desire came at the expense of efficiency in front of the goal (only two shots on target). As the match progressed, Nice’s attacks lost their bite. Reflecting the season of the Aiglons, Anthony Mounier and his teammates couldn’t find the crack in a well-organized Parisian defense. David Ospina, the Azuréen goalkeeper, should be thanked, without whom the outcome could have been even harsher. But to summarize the match, one might have thought there was a class of difference between Paris and Nice on Sunday evening. Not because the visitors were either more technical or more physical, but because it was the success in front of the goal (and therefore on the scoreboard) that made the difference between a club vying for top positions in the championship and potentially a spot in the Champions League, and another one fighting to stay in Ligue 1.
Alarming Nice statistics
Moreover, this struggle becomes more concrete every day. In the standings, with only 26 points in 24 matches, OGC Nice is now just two points away from the relegation zone. The Reds and Blacks have the second-to-last attack in Ligue 1 with 15 goals (ahead of Arles-Avignon, who could be considered out of the competition), and are no longer among the best defenses in the competition (27 goals conceded). Nice attackers haven’t scored in the championship since last December 18, with Danijel Ljuboja’s goal during the home draw against Brest (1-1).
And the worst is yet to come…
So one can use all the appropriate adjectives: alarming, worrying, concerning. Nonetheless, the time for words is over, and it’s time for action for Nice, who have burned quite a few jokers recently. This is why a misstep at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint Etienne will be prohibited next Saturday. Subsequently, two decisive matches for staying up will follow, namely the successive receptions of Lens on March 5 and Auxerre on March 12. As if that weren’t enough, in the meantime, the Niçois will travel to Reims (L2) on March 1 for the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France. It goes without saying that the task looks complicated for a Nice team that must first rediscover a conquering mindset.
