The team from Nice secured a 2-0 victory on their home ground last night against Reims. Thanks to this win, Claude Puel’s men temporarily climb back onto the podium.
Cold blood was needed to avoid the trap set by Stade de Reims. OGC Nice had just that yesterday to get the job done at home. However, the club from Champagne did not underperform and played their hand fully right from the start. The high pressing from forwards Charbonnier and De Preville even somewhat anesthetized Nice at the very beginning of the match.
Unable to string passes together and implement their usual game plan, the eaglets did not panic despite an unexpected first fifteen minutes from their opponents. A welcome sign of maturity for such a young team. By keeping their composure, the team from Nice was able to assert their technical superiority from their first developed situation. Ben Arfa dribbles past defenders, seems to get carried away, but manages to slide the ball to Valère Germain, forgotten in the box. The striker, on loan from Monaco, chips the goalkeeper and Nice leads 1-0 after 11 minutes of play. There’s no need to panic.
Because once Nice is ahead, everything becomes much more complicated for their opponent. Naturally, the Reims pressing took a hit. Scoring twice against an in-form defense (only 1 goal conceded in the last 5 matches excluding Paris) seems quite difficult for the current 17th in Ligue 1.
Especially since once they got ahead on the scoreboard, Koziello, Mendy, and Seri take control of the ball, and the entire OGC Nice regains confidence in their game. Enough to end the first half with nearly 60% ball possession. But what would the Gym’s game be without Ben Arfa’s mad accelerations? What would this OGC Nice be without his strokes of genius and his goals? Lower in the standings, it would be hypocritical not to acknowledge it. And once again, the Nice playmaker scored. On a penalty he himself earned in the 56th minute, Ben Arfa ended the suspense for last night. Will he manage to do it on the evening of the 38th matchday for Champions League qualification? In the end, that’s all that matters.
