Five months after the home defeat followed by a pitch invasion, Nice travels to Bastia (8 PM) with a vengeful spirit. With five matches without a win, the Aiglons are now looking downwards (5 points ahead of the first relegation spot). A victory in the derby could restart a machine that stalled in February.
The Bastia-Nice and Nice-Bastia matches have never been like any other games for almost 30 years. The events of last October (provocation by the Corsican substitute goalkeeper, pitch invasion by Nice supporters) and those of the week (provocations through newspapers) have not helped. It is a match classified as high risk and will be played without Nice supporters (who are banned from traveling), as two clubs far from being safe face off.
At the Aiglons, euphoria has given way to restraint. With one point out of nine in February combined with last Sunday’s defeat in Montpellier (2-1), the Nice team has seen the red zone approaching rapidly. If Metz and Lens seem doomed, there is still one spot and it will be contested among a small dozen clubs. Everything moves quickly in Ligue 1; a positive series opens up the first half of the standings, a negative one brings back the stress.
“We’re disappointed, frustrated to be in this place. No one will give us gifts, we need to go and get the points. In a derby, we need to have the right aggression, be smart, and do things in the right spirit,” Romain Genevois said at a press conference on Thursday.
In the last matchday, the red and black team ended a series of nearly 400 minutes without scoring (Bauthéac on a penalty) but faltered due to two individual errors. The defense remains a real satisfaction, but upfront, concerns continue to grow. The Bauthéac-C.Eduardo-Eysseric trio is running slow. Plea works a lot up front but lacks efficiency. However, getting points in the coming days and weeks will require hitting the back of the net… but not in Mouez Hassen’s goal.
“In the last two matches, we weren’t at our best. We need to find our virtues again. This match against Bastia is important for us and our supporters. To make them happy, we need to bring them a victory,” Claude Puel explained to the press.
On the Isle of Beauty, the Sporting Club has truly transformed. The Bastia under Claude Makélélé, 20th in December and almost “condemned,” has given way to a playful and effective team. Under the leadership of Ghislain Printant, the Bastians have chained together nine unbeaten matches to climb to 14th place and regain serenity. Last week’s defeat in Lorient (2-0) marked a pause, but at home, SCB leaves few crumbs. The form of the Sio-Ayité duo is a breath of fresh air, and the whole city believes again in survival, or even more (League Cup final mid-April against PSG).
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