Nice won. Strasbourg lost. A few hours after the match, it is time to analyze this victory for the Eagles. A perilous exercise. It was the first home match. There were 3 new players on the red and black side and 5 on the Alsatian side. This can explain the lack of cohesion in the game. Moreover, Frédéric Antonetti, coach of OGC Nice, admits that his group is behind in preparation with numerous injuries. He fielded this team for the first time. Last year’s poor start, reiterated in newspapers since the training resumed, must have weighed on the players’ minds. The defeat in Caen did not help matters. With excuses found, we must frankly say: let us be worried if the Eagles reproduce the same performance in their upcoming outings, starting this Thursday in Nancy. We should not hide behind Vincent Hognon’s illusory liberating goal. The three points are appreciated. Period.
Another difficulty: not knowing the true value of the opponent. We remember the first match at Ray of last season. Nice had hosted Nantes. Eagles and Canaries could not take advantage. The only point Nice obtained in seven days. On the evening of the match and in the analysis, we reassured ourselves by saying that Nantes was a good team with quality recruits. At Nice-Premium, we praised the qualities of Boukhari, Saidou, Wilhelmsson… Sometimes, it would be better to stay silent… anyway…
Returning to Nice-Strasbourg. The Alsatians made a good impression. They did not deserve to lose. They had shown their quality by holding Marseille to a draw on the first day. They frustrated Nice during much of the first half. Strasbourg’s midfielders were more numerous. Cohade, Rodrigo, Abdessadki, Fanchone, and with Mouloungui who dropped back, troubled the defensive midfield pair Hellebuyck-Balmont. 
Jean-Marc Furlan’s players capitalized on the spaces, offered very fine collective sequences, and created opportunities. Hugo Lloris, the last defense for the Azuréens, had to work and was helped by his post on a shot from the lively Abdessadki. At the start of the second half, Manuel Dos Santos’s expulsion allowed the Eagles to get a grip on the ball. A half of hard labor where the Red and Black struggled with each action to put Stéphane Cassard, the peaceful guardian of a very solid Strasbourg temple, in danger. We know the story. It took a set-piece in the 86th minute to give Nice the victory. Hellebuyck sent the ball into the box. Vincent Hognon subtly deflected it and relieved Stade du Ray.
The hardest part was obtained. The recruits were satisfying. Vincent Hognon and David Hellebuyck were decisive. The stopper played a serious game. The midfielder had a bit more trouble in the play. Habib Bamogo showed his qualities. He tried. He moved. He challenged. Cyril Rool and Onyekachi Apam proved to be excellent full-backs in an unusual position for them. A victory, three points, contentment… Why ask for more?
