After eliminating the big names like PSG and then OM, OGC Nice had the opportunity to qualify for the French Cup final by defeating FC Versailles 78 at the Allianz Riviera.
In this first act, OGC Nice quickly took control of the match. The Eaglets decided to focus on the wings to create danger.
On their second possession, it was Gouiri on the left wing who cut inside and attempted the first shot of the game (5th minute).
The Gym continued to push on the left, this time with Thuram. After a fine run, the former Monaco player attempted to cross but it was blocked and resulted in a corner. A few minutes later, he was involved again on a corner from the same side, but his powerful header went just a few centimeters over the bar (11th minute), marking the biggest chance of the early stage of the match.
Versailles’ first attempt came at the half-hour mark: a long-range shot from Melvyn Vieira.
Nice continued to press on the left, this time with Strings who, after a one-two with Gouiri, tried a right-footed shot, unfortunately blocked (36th minute).
The visitors’ second shot came moments later, once again from distance and again missing the target. In the final moments of the first half, Thuram was again involved with a header from a corner, this time on target but too easy for Delaunay.
OGC Nice returned to the pitch first, with not much to modify compared to the first half except for better finishing.
And the Eaglets quickly corrected that as Amine Gouiri scored right after the kickoff of the second half! After a beautiful team move, the former Lyon player finally managed to unleash a shot that wasn’t blocked by the defense. It was Lotomba who crossed, Delort let the ball pass, and Gouiri controlled it with his chest before volleying it. The ball ended up in the top corner! 1-0 for OGC Nice in the 48th minute!
The men of Galtier, already dominant in the first half, seemed galvanized by this goal. Gouiri, the scorer, tried his luck again but this time from the edge of the area, served by Stengs. Delaunay was up to the task this time.
Gouiri was at the conclusion of all of Nice’s actions in this second half. It was the former Lyon player who initiated the Nice break signed by Kasper Dolberg!
The Gym tried to exploit counter-attacks from their goal, Gouiri decided to take things into his own hands. Thanks to several high-class technical moves, he managed to make a difference and only had to pass to Dolberg who finished nicely with a shot into the left bottom corner (73rd minute).
Versailles tried to respond a few moments later and had their biggest chance from a cross by Touré. It was Ibayi who headed it but it was easy for Bulka (77th minute). The second shot on target by the Versailles side came soon after with a long-range shot from Pham Pa, but the Polish player was on it again.
The Nice team continued to attack on the counter, Guessand (80th minute), Lemina (85th minute), and Stengs (87th minute) could have finished those counters but all missed in the final touch. The last action of the match could have really sealed the 3-0 as Guessand sent a heavy shot from the edge of the area in the 94th minute but it unfortunately hit the bar.
In a magnificent atmosphere at the Allianz, OGC Nice qualified for the French Cup final in a match where they were hardly troubled. Only the lack of finishing in the first half slightly tarnished this performance but in the second act, the Eaglets took the Versailles goal by storm led by an exceptional Amine Gouiri.
This victory signifying a final will of course remain in the history of OGC Nice no matter what happens because it had been more than 16 years since the Gym reached the final of a national cup. At the same time, several Nice players lacking confidence regained their momentum, particularly Calvin Stengs and Kasper Dolberg.
See you now on May 8 at the Stade de France hoping for the Gym’s triumph against the winner of the semifinal on March 2: AS Monaco or FC Nantes.
