At the end of an enjoyable and lively match, OGC Nice won 3-2 on the field of Caen. The Eagles put an end to a series of five matches without a victory and breathe easier in the rankings. The upcoming matches against Saint-Etienne and Lens will give insight into the real potential of this team.
This was a much-needed result. Following a rather average record of only one win in the last eight matches, Nice had no choice. Leaving Caen with either one or three points was indispensable. A reaction was eagerly anticipated after the slip against Rennes with only 10 minutes played. On the other side, Caen entered after a heavy defeat against Guingamp (5-1). It was a match with explosive potential.
Surprising news came with the announcement of the Nice starting eleven. Simon Pouplin was preferred over Mouez Hassen for the first time this season. Once again away from home, Plea took the forward position, surrounded by Eric Bauthéac, Carlos Eduardo, and Grégoire Puel. From the start of the match, both teams played cautiously, taking no risks.
Clearly, the stakes were killing the game. The first shot of the match came from Alassane Plea, well caught by Vercoutre (0-0, 10th). Minutes later, Simon Pouplin made a nice save on a shot by Koita—a very serious first half from the usual second goalkeeper. At fifteen minutes in, Grégoire Puel missed the chance to open the scoring after a superb cross from Eric Bauthéac (0-0, 15th). At the 30-minute mark, Nice earned a free kick at 25 meters. The left midfielder for Nice took charge, delivering a clear shot that forced Vercoutre to deflect the ball onto the post, which Jordan Amavi followed up by pushing the ball into the net (0-1, 32nd). Shortly after, Kevin Gomis was guilty of a foul on Nangis, it was an indisputable penalty. The Caen striker Duhamel took the shot and sent Pouplin the wrong way (1-1, 39th). Just before halftime, Nice suffered a setback. Nangis accelerated down the left side, dribbled past Genevois and Mendy, and then beat Pouplin with a fine cross shot (2-1, 45th). Nice’s defense was passive at that moment, as they had stopped playing since their lead at the 30-minute mark.
At the restart, Nice tried but had few clear actions to signal. Defensively, the Eagles seemed better organized. An hour in, Plea broke down the right side, entered the area, and was hindered by Nangis. Mr. Turpin awarded a second penalty. Gym’s in-form man, Bauthéac, took the responsibility. With a daring panenka, he left Vercoutre with no chance (2-2, 64th). Claude Puel’s coaching intervention followed suit with Hult and Eysseric coming in. There was a sense of a knockout in the air as the Eagles surged to the attack. During a confusing play, Plea fought in the box, recovered the ball, and scored with a nice side-foot shot (2-3, 74th). A great response from the red and black! Just before injury time, Plea, on a counter-attack, missed match point (2-3, 86th). In the 91st minute, Pouplin made a class save in front of Koita and saved his team. Then Hult and Eysseric both missed chances to make it 4-2.
“We knew we had to bring back at least one point. In terms of mentality, we need to do this every game. In the second half, we felt we could score at any moment. Scoring 3 goals away is a good thing,” summarized Eric Bauthéac on BeInSports.
Nice won 3-2 and made an excellent progress in the standings. The Eagles climbed to 11th place with 21 points and are now 7 points ahead of the relegation zone before Sunday’s matches. The next match is next Sunday and will be against Saint-Etienne, well positioned in the Top 5.
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