Facing an opponent reduced to ten players for half the match, the Nice team found a way to snatch a draw (1-1), leaving them still in the relegation zone. Next up is a tricky trip to the green cauldron of Saint-Etienne…
Without Eric Mouloungui, René Marsiglia also had to do without Kévin Anin, who got injured during the warm-up and was replaced by Elliot Grandin. The derby could then begin. On the Marseille side, they also faced injuries with Diawara having to leave the field after barely 5 minutes of play, making way for Charles Kaboré. The Nice team pushed through a lively Gonçalves, and we had to wait until the 11th minute of play to see the Marseille team reach the edge of the Nice area. The game became rough, and two deserved yellow cards penalized the fouls of Kaboré and Civelli.
Marseille showed some presence at the half-hour mark, but Marsiglia’s men remained vigilant, perhaps even deserving more on Mbia’s charge against Civelli just before half-time. Everyone expected a calm break, but it didn’t account for Kaboré’s second reprimandable intervention, resulting in a red card and a trip to the locker room a few seconds before his teammates. A hard blow for OM!
The Nice team returned with the same intentions as in the first half, and Mandanda had to make a beautiful save to stop Coulibaly’s attempt, deflected by Rod Fanni. A few seconds later, it was Ospina’s turn to work to snuff out a good cross from Valbuena. Then Azpilicueta dashed down the wing to finally find Ayew, who coolly slotted home with a textbook right-footed finish past Ospina. A cold shower at the Ray and the opening goal for the visitors.
No matter, the Colombian goalkeeper’s teammates kept at it, and Mandanda once again lay down to stop a Civelli attempt. Corner kicks piled up, and the Marseille team seemed to have difficulty containing the Azur attacks. Julien Sablé then replaced Dja Djé Djé to lay siege to the Marseille area. Another Civelli-Mandanda duel arose, but once again, it was the Olympic keeper who prevailed. Entering the last quarter of an hour, the lively Gonçalves entered the Marseille box and was jostled by Rod Fanni. There was no doubt for the referee—a penalty!
The Ray stadium held its breath as Mr. Enjimi handed out cards for a skirmish between Digard and Brandao. Monzon then stepped forward and, without a hint of hesitation, adjusted Mandanda for a justified reduction in the score. Deschamps then sent in Gignac to replace Brandao, and the Nice team continued to assault the Marseille rear-guard in search of those two precious additional points in the battle for survival.
But no more goals were scored on either side, and while Marseille may be satisfied with this draw point, it’s not the same story for Nice before a daunting final stretch…
Just one point!
