Nice loses 2-1 on Bastia’s field after leading the score. The Gym is struggling with a third consecutive defeat combined with two expulsions (G. Puel and Diawara). Fifteenth in the standings, the end of the season for Claude Puel’s men promises to be stressful.
Everyone anticipated a heated match with intensity, contact, and cards. And indeed, all these elements were present in a risky derby following incidents in the first leg. OGC Nice, as in recent matches, started their match well before collapsing nervously and defensively. With ten matches to go before the end of the season, staying up is far from assured. The orange alert has been issued.
In the rather heated atmosphere of Furiani, the first move was by Nice. Carlos Eduardo and Valentin Eysseric took their chances, but the Corsican goalkeeper and defense were present (2nd minute). In the ensuing action, Sio’s shot was deflected by Mouez Hassen onto his post. A handling error without consequences, the opening goal was close (3rd minute). Proof of the intensity, Sio, Diakité, and Diawara each received a yellow card. A little after the quarter hour mark, Eric Bauthéac, initially prevented from taking a corner due to projectiles being thrown, placed the ball onto the head of Carlos Eduardo (18th minute, 0-1). The Brazilian got ahead of the Bastia goalkeeper’s exit and scored the opening goal, his eighth of the season.
On a fairly average pitch, both teams struggled to generate play. Bastia equalized a little before the half-hour mark. Boudebouz’s free kick found Gillet’s head, who shook off Grégoire Puel’s marking and sent the ball into the net (26th minute, 1-1). Drissa Diakité, guilty of an assault on Hult in the first leg, should have been expelled in the 31st minute for two major fouls, but Mr. Fautrel did not act. However, before halftime, Grégoire Puel was rightfully expelled for a dangerous tackle on Danic’s knee (43rd minute). The Gym made the match difficult for themselves and fell into the trap of indiscipline.
At the start of the second half, Claude Puel swapped Eysseric for Gomis to rebalance the defense. As expected, it was attack-defend in favor of Bastia, who created the best chances. Twice, Boudebouz forced Hassen to make saves (58th and 60th minutes). The Niçois eventually gave in after numerous Bastia attacks. Sio, starting almost offside, outran Kévin Gomis and beat Mouez Hassen, who poorly covered his post (69th minute, 2-1). The Gym narrowly escaped further punishment with a shot from Gillet just missing the crossbar and another from Danic, deflected by the Nice keeper (71st and 72nd minutes). Towards the end of the match, Souleymane Diawara also saw red after an elbow on Peybernes (83rd minute). An ordeal through to the end…
“The expulsions may have been harsh, we didn’t really understand what was happening. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves and it’s a shame because we could have brought something back. We got caught up in the context,” analyzed Romain Genevois on BeInSports’ microphone.
Nice is now 15th in the standings and facing pressure before hosting Guingamp next Friday in an empty stadium (the match will be behind closed doors as decreed by the League). With a five-point lead over the first team in the relegation zone, Toulouse, danger is not so far off.
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