A draw and regrets for the eaglets who, although they suffered at the beginning of the match, would undoubtedly have deserved two additional points if Cvitanich’s penalty a few minutes before the end had found its way into the Stéphanois net.
Just a little over 10,000 spectators to watch yet another Nice-Saint-Etienne match, but the last one on the Ray pitch (normally, unless in a cup…). And it’s the Greens who immediately stand out to the great dismay of the Nice public. An unstoppable Aubameyang gives the red and black defense a hard time and almost opens the score after 20 minutes of play, but a last defender and the crossbar save Delle. The eaglets are pinned down and forced to play very low, which gives them no real chance before the first half hour of play.
It’s Cvitanich who sounds the revolt with a brilliant first pass to Pied, who finds himself alone in front of Ruffier but misses the target. The second attempt will be the right one for Cvitanich, who, a minute later, serves Pied again, who perfectly finds Bauthéac at the far post for the opening goal and 10,000 happy spectators (1-0). The goal awakens Nice’s enthusiasm and tempers the Stéphanois’ assaults, the game balances out until halftime whistled by Mr. Varela.
We take the same players and start again for the second period, with the same scenario with the Greens pushing the Nice rearguard to the limit. Aubameyang is very close to equalizing, but his attempt misses just a few centimeters from the goal guarded by Joris Delle. No clear chances on either side, and the hour of play is reached with the Azurean side having a minimum advantage. In Saint-Etienne, Zouma and Hamouma give way to Bayal Sali and Gradel, and a few minutes later it’s Guivalogui who replaces Lemoine. And the changes seem to be working for the Stéphanois, who become more incisive, and Aubameyang, well served by Brandai, is almost able to level the score, but Kolodziejczak is vigilant. We enter the last quarter of an hour, and it is finally Brandao who will liberate his team from a muddled corner that returns to his feet and allows him to calmly beat the Nice goalkeeper (1-1).
The response from the Nice side, with Bauthéac sending a superb left-footed volley, but it does not account for Ruffier’s talent, who saves a ball heading straight for his top corner. Disappointment in the Ray stands. Meriem is replaced by Eysseric, and the Nice team steps up a gear. And it is this same Eysseric, barely in the game, who earns a fully justified penalty after a foul by Jérémy Clément in the Stéphane penalty area. Cvitanich, excellent until then, steps up, and his shot misses the target of Ruffier’s goal. The opportunity was close, but the score remains unchanged. Bosetti enters in the final minutes of the match, but it will be Delle who has the last word with an excellent final intervention against Aubameyang.
Mr. Varela could send both teams back to the locker room, and while the Greens can be satisfied with a good point taken, the Nice team can regret the two left behind because, next weekend, it’s in Montpellier that they will have to try to get some…
