Having won the first leg in Moldova, the Aiglons hosted Sheriff this Thursday with the ambition of reaching the quarter-finals of the Conference League. Mission accomplished for the Côte d’Azur club, which continues its European adventure.
The last French club still in contention in a European Cup, OGC Nice was playing for its qualification to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League (C4) this Thursday against Sheriff Tiraspol. Although the Gym started the match with the advantage of a one-goal lead, Didier Digard’s men had to put on a good performance and widen the gap with the Moldovans. With that in mind, the 36-year-old coach fielded a rather offensive team with Laborde, Brahimi, and Moffi upfront.
Right from the start of the match, the Nice players looked to push forward and created several chances early on. At the half-hour mark, Khephren Thuram, who just received a call-up from Didier Deschamps for the next French national team gathering, perfectly set up Gaëtan Laborde, who scored with a subtle lob (1-0). In the added time of the first half, the Gym had the chance to extend their lead thanks to Pablo Rosario, who benefited from great work by Brahimi. Unfortunately for the Dutchman, his shot flew over and missed the target.
Despite the two-goal lead, OGC Nice continued to press from the first minutes of the second half. Shortly before the hour mark, Terem Moffi, with composure, scored the 2-0 and his 4th goal in red and black. After this second goal, the Aiglons eased off a bit, and Sheriff immediately capitalized on this. Less than 2 minutes after the Nigerian’s goal, the Moldovans came within a goal thanks to Tapsoba. This was followed by another attempt from the visitors that made the Côte d’Azur crowd shiver. Pushed back, the Gym redoubled their efforts to definitively seal the outcome of the match. It was ultimately Bilal Brahimi who took advantage of a long-range shot from Moffi, parried by the Moldovan goalkeeper. The Algerian international scored the 3-1, the final score of the match.
The adventure continues for the Aiglons, victorious 3-1 (Laborde, Moffi, Brahimi) over Sheriff Tiraspol at the Allianz Riviera, after their success in the first leg. OGC Nice will play their first European quarter-final in 63 years in a few weeks.
