With Job and Bamogo leading the front line, Nice had a rather offensive look for an away team, but the first few minutes of play wouldn’t show much in terms of offense from either side. It was a dull game with only one noteworthy chance: a shot from Balmont that went well over the goal guarded by Yohann Pelé. Then, what seemed inevitable happened, as Brazilian Tullio De Melo, taking advantage of a good cross from Gervinho, opened the scoring and marked his sixth goal of the season. Nice pushed back, but Le Mans held firm until Mr. Jaffredo sent both teams to the locker rooms.
The second half offered nothing better than the first, and both teams struggled greatly to approach the opposing goals. It was one of the sharpest plays that allowed Le Mans to seal the deal, again with the lively Gervinho bursting down the flank, finding the Japanese player Matsui, who doubled the lead. With a two-goal deficit and 30 minutes remaining, the task for Nice was hard and became almost insurmountable, and to top it off, Hugo Lloris, making a comeback after his injury, was forced to leave his teammates, giving way to Lionel Letizi. Was it a premature return for the young French goalkeeper?
The end of the match yielded nothing more, and it was ultimately Le Mans who made the most of an evening that would certainly continue cheerfully watching the French XV’s splendid victory against New Zealand. A match for Nice to file away in the cabinet of bad memories.
