Despite a stellar performance from Yoan Cardinale, the Eaglets fell at home against the favorite of their group, who played a complete match. Nice might have some regrets.
In a stadium not quite full but well filled, OGC Nice rediscovered the joys of the European Cup. Dressed in UEFA colors, the Allianz Riviera was ready to welcome its twelfth man. And once again, it delivered. In an exceptional atmosphere, the Gym was constantly pushed by its supporters.
The team had to hold their own against the 1,700 German supporters who traveled and did not stop encouraging their team. Lined up in a 3-4-3 formation, Schalke 04 posed many problems for the Niçois and their still experimental 3-5-2, given the difficulties faced by the central defense to contain the wingers.
Despite this, Dante, Baysse, and Sarr held the fort, intercepting a good number of balls. The Germans proved dangerous with every foray forward, but the Nice defense kept watch.
The first shot of the match, from Choupo-Moting (13th minute), did not prove dangerous. But without a great Yoan Cardinale, it’s hard to say what the Gym’s score would have been, given how the young goalkeeper multiplied the saves. First, at the half-hour mark against Goretzka and then Embolo, then again in the second half, once more in front of Goretzka (63rd), then Meyer (73rd).
Nice finally buckles
Unfortunately for the Gym, the lock eventually gave way. Until then imperious and capable of maintaining a 0-0 scoreline, the defense was caught off guard by a one-two between Baba and Meyer, allowing the former to blast past Cardinale with a left-footed shot (75th). The Nice goalkeeper was powerless, and it’s the only time he was in the match.
Offensively, the Gym was struggling, with Pléa and Balotelli having difficulty being found. The former could have created a chance in the 62nd minute, while the latter came close to equalizing in the 83rd with a powerful shot repelled by Fährmann. Despite the entries of Bodmer and Belhanda, fatigue set in and the Gym could not come back to the score. There is cause for regret, considering the end of the match from Lucien Favre’s men. One last thrill ran through the stadium when the post saved Yoan Cardinale and his team from a heavier defeat.
The Eaglets’ next European engagement will be in two weeks, on the field of FK Krasnodar, in Russia. Until then, Nice will have had time to work on addressing their weaknesses and enhancing their strengths.
The stat: 19 years later
Not counting the brief encounter against Apollon Limassol in the playoffs in August 2013, it had been 19 years since Nice last tasted the European Cup. Despite the defeat, the reunion was a beautiful one. And there are at least five more matches to enjoy.
Lucien Favre’s reaction:
“We’ve struggled against every team this season. Let’s not forget we struggled a lot against Marseille as well. We have a lot of work to do. We wouldn’t have deserved better than 0-0, but we could have hoped for it. It would have been very positive. We could have hoped for a scenario like their match against Bayern on Friday: Schalke had a very good match, like tonight, but they didn’t manage to score, and Bayern brought them down on their first shot.
We struggled athletically. In positioning, in technique. It’s a matter of pace and also level, to tell the truth. The positive side is that despite their massive domination, they didn’t have many clear chances; we conceded fewer than against Marseille.”
Younès Belhanda’s reaction:
“We’re a bit disappointed tonight because we would have liked to at least take a point. It’s a first game, and there are still quite a few more to come. We now have to focus on upcoming challenges. The European level demands more aggressiveness and very fast play. We have a very young team discovering the top level and the Europa League; we need to get into the swing of things. However, not everything should be discarded tonight: we had some opportunities but weren’t sharp enough.”
Yoan Cardinale’s reaction:
“Playing in the European Cup is huge! We fought to get there last season. Personally, I didn’t expect such enthusiasm and such an atmosphere. It was something magnificent. We hope that for the next two home games against Krasnodar and Salzburg, there will be as many people, or even more…”
Keeping an Eye on the Competition
In the other match of Group I, Krasnodar won on Salzburg’s field. The only scorer of the match was Joaozinho (38th minute). The Gym’s next opponent, therefore, holds the top spot in the group, alongside Schalke 04.
