OGC Nice begins the 2019-2020 season in the best possible way with a 2-1 victory against Amiens. The Gym had to wait until stoppage time to secure the win thanks to a goal from their captain, Dante.
Right at the very end. We are playing the 5th and final minute of stoppage time when captain Dante rises above his opponent and propels the ball into the Amiens net. As a sign of the tension on the field at Allianz Riviera last night, the entire team rushed to the hero of the evening. A goal that gives the Eaglets their first 3 points but, more importantly, instills a bit of confidence in a team that was severely lacking it (especially considering the last two friendly matches ended in heavy defeats of 6-1 and 8-1).
A well-controlled first half
OGC Nice enters the match with a bang, applying high pressure and a desire to push forward. The Nice defense plays high, allowing the team to gain possession and set up their style of play. Without being truly dangerous in open play, the Eaglets pose a threat from set-pieces. It is through this phase of play that Christophe Hérelle opens the scoring in the 33rd minute. This marks his first professional goal. Like last season, the Gym is guilty of losing momentum after stealing the lead and experiences a scare right before a first half marked by the red card for Amiens’ Gnahore.
Dante as the savior
Returning from the locker room, the pace drops considerably, and neither team takes real risks. Nice manages their lead while Amiens hesitates to push for an equalizer at the risk of being countered. As is often the case, Nice pays for this after a defensive mistake allows Akolo to equalize in the 80th minute. Nice suffers from this drop in tempo likely due to a very intense physical preparation. The rest is known.
Nice thus begins the new season with a victory. A good note before facing off against Nîmes next week and, importantly, the Mediterranean derby the following week at Allianz Riviera against Olympique de Marseille.
