Led by a great Younès Belhanda, the Aiglons dominated Toulouse without trembling to reclaim the top spot in the championship. This comes a week ahead of a top-of-the-table clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
The legs could have been heavy. The bodies strained by a tough midweek battle. But quite the opposite happened, fortunately—the legs were light, the minds were lucid, and the ideas were clear. Set in their usual 4-3-3 formation, with Rémi Walter replacing Vincent Koziello in the heart of the play (the only change from the win at Guingamp), Nice dominated the proceedings throughout. They outmaneuvered the visiting defense with wing play and depth. The Toulouse team quickly opted to lock down the center of the field?
The duo of Dalbert and Belhanda on the left soon gave them trouble. The Violets focused their efforts on pressuring the Nice midfielders, who didn’t falter and knew to look skyward to savor the first goal. From the backline, captain Dante launched a 50-meter pass to Plea, who struck the ball between Lafont’s legs to score (23rd minute). The Allianz exploded with joy.
Being his 9th goal of the season in L1, the striker celebrated in the arms of his great companion Vincent Koziello before exulting… at Younès Belhanda’s securing goal. The Gym thanked another precise long shot from the Brazilian defender, deftly controlled and volleyed on a second touch without the ball hitting the ground. With Lafont lobbed, the red and black fans could express their joy and honor their Aiglons who returned with fierce determination.
The halftime break interrupted 45 minutes of pure beauty, during which the home team delighted with their skill, ease, and confidence. They nearly added to the scoreline with a thunderous free-kick by Wylan Cyprien, tipped over his bar by the Haut-Garonnais keeper (38th minute).
Belhanda’s Showcase
Cautioned by the draw conceded against Bastia, a result of a botched second half start, the Red and Black returned to the field with determination. They controlled the game as if there had been no break. A mistimed shot from Seri and another over the bar by Plea took place within the first five minutes of the second half. The tone was set. The focus was present, and the Aiglons ensured the spectacle.
The entries of Edouard and Bodiger did not dent Nice’s local dominance. With a series of short passes, alternating between central moves and wing play, Nice managed the game with finesse, maintaining their form. Without giving anything to their opponents, they extended their lead shortly after the hour mark with a beautiful play. After numerous short exchanges, Eysseric found Pléa, who sought Belhanda. The playmaker, impeccable in precision and having an outstanding match, returned the ball to No. 14 with a lob, who then headed it to Mika Seri. The Ivorian international calmly adjusted Lafont with the serenity of a sage.
Sarr’s leg deflected a shot from Sylla, keeping Nice’s goal unbreached. The score remained unchanged, and the Gym claimed another victory. The Aiglons are back on top of Ligue 1. The next match promises to heat up as Nice travels to Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain, with the (secret or not) goal of widening the gap over the reigning champions.
The Stat: 16,835
That’s the number of spectators at the Allianz Riviera. We know the stadium is hard to access, it’s Sunday night, it’s cold… But Nice truly deserves a full stadium, especially this season. It’s a shame to see so few people at the game when on the pitch, the Gym is delighting us.
Lucien Favre’s Reaction:
It was a good match against a team very aggressive in pressing. At the start of the match, we had to remain calm and play faster to avoid losing possession, as they have very good disrupting players. We quickly scored the 1-0, then the 2-0 from a long ball. We continued playing, we wanted another goal to be secure. 3-0, that’s good. We’re working in training. After that, it’s the players who make the choices. Sometimes you have to know to play long. Playing short systematically is not ideal.
Younès Belhanda’s Reaction:
“Usually we score the first goal and relax a bit, we play at control without hurting the opponent, but tonight we succeeded. We know how to keep the ball but we must also be ruthless. My level has always been the same, I only stayed six months at Schalke, we didn’t have time to see me, now I’m on the radar, but I haven’t regressed. Here, the team is very willing to play, and I like that. Champion like in 2012? I don’t know, at Montpellier we were outsiders all year, it wasn’t until the second part of the season that we overtook PSG. But we’re here, we didn’t steal this place from anyone, we’re following our path. The Championship is long; we’re only halfway through. We’ll tally the scores at the end.”
Dante’s Reaction:
“We arrive in Paris next week with a four-point lead. It’s a bit less pressure. These are matches that allow us to show where we stand. But Paris, despite their defeat at Montpellier (3-0, editor’s note), remains a beautiful team. We must be prepared to suffer in Paris. It’s up to us to make an effort. We try to improve each time. We continue to progress. We mustn’t get carried away.”
