Third promotion and third defeat for the Aiglons, who are still unable to regain their superb form from last year. The situation is urgent…
Lacking inspiration, the Gym was caught by a valiant Strasbourg team on the occasion of the 10th day of L1 (1-2).
Without punch and aggressiveness, the Aiglons stumbled against the Strasbourgeois who embodied these two virtues, fighting for their survival with the right qualities and the right mindset.
In this 10th episode, Lucien Favre nevertheless tried to change the ingredients to bring back the momentum. He adjusted his setup – a 4-3-3 from the start, with Srarfi on the right, St-Maximin on the left, and Plea at the front – to restore balance to his group. He added more players to the midfield (Koziello, Mendy, Lees-Melou) to dictate the tempo. But inspiration was not present.
During the first 45 minutes, the Strasbourg team dominated the discussions and created the best opportunities. They managed, during the next 45, to dig deep to maintain their advantage.
After a shot over the bar by Liénard (20’), they took the lead with a clear-cut action. Wing change, control by Gonçalves, pass back to Lala, a one-touch cross, and a perfect finish by Da Costa (0-1, 23’). Stunned, the Gym almost conceded a quick second goal to the impressive Alsatians.
Seeing the match slipping away, the Swiss coach tried to change the course of the game at the start of the second half. He brought on Wesley Sneijder in place of Bassen Srarfi, switched to a 4-4-1-1 formation, put the Dutch star in the playmaker role, St-Maximin on the right, and PLM on the left.
The effect was immediate, as the number 10 fought to deliver a powerful cross, but Plea couldn’t quite connect properly (47’). However, behind this skirmish, Racing doubled their lead. Winning the midfield duels, Terrier launched Da Costa behind a high defense. He escaped to score a double with speed and lucidity (0-2, 49’).
From then on, it would take character and a slice of luck to come back. These two elements appeared on the pitch but quickly faded. Plea fought hard, crossed, Seka held St-Maximin in the box. Mr. Rainville pointed to the penalty spot, expelled the defender, and Lees-Melou took responsibility, shooting powerfully down the middle (1-2, 54’).
Back in the game, with numerical superiority, the Azuréens pushed to make up their deficit.
Despite being set up in the blue camp, OGC Nice never managed to surpass itself to snatch a draw. And that was despite a final attempt by Sneijder off-target.
They leave this Sunday with the bitterness of bad days but will have to quickly recover, as a trip to Parc des Princes awaits next Friday.
