Two clubs did not succeed in their weekend, the men of Nice-Volley and water polo. For the others (Basketball, Football, Rugby, and Hockey), the last weekend of February was prolific. A recap of the results of the clubs from the French Riviera.
OGCN can pop the Champagne
Nice keeps up their good momentum. After a convincing win in Bastia last week (1-0), Claude Puel’s men secured a second consecutive victory against Reims (2-0). With goals from Valentin Esseyric via penalty at the 11th minute and Renato Civelli ten minutes before the end, the Aiglons hold onto their fourth place, trailing Olympique de Marseille by just one point after their defeat on Paris-Saint-Germain’s field. Reduced to ten men after Mandi’s expulsion, the team from Reims never really threatened David Ospina.
And what to say about their next match! A trip to Geoffroy Guichard’s cauldron for a real test for Didier Digard’s teammates. See you next Saturday at 8 PM.
Niss’Angels with no worries
The Niss’Angels hosted the Centre Fédéral BB for the 18th day of LF2. As expected, the match posed little trouble for Rachid Méziane’s protégés. They won easily, 82 to 47, and remain at the top of the Championship with a 2-point lead, capitalizing on Calais’ defeat on the court of La Roche-sur-Yon.
Note that the Cavigal girls will be exempt from the next matchday, meaning they will be credited with a victory by a 20-point margin before traveling to play against their runner-ups in Calais, a turning point in LF2.
Volleyball: A minor setback on the court of Plessis-Robinson
The Azur volleyball players traveled to the court of Plessis-Robinson, 3rd in Ligue B before the match. This was a test for Mladen Kasic’s men after the setback against Canteleu. But things did not go as planned for the Azur players.
The Parisians quickly showed their dominance from the first set. Combined attacks from Adrien Taghin, Morten Kahlemue, or Fabrice Gambier. Having won the first set, the club from Hauts-de-Seine didn’t have much trouble securing the next two sets. Final score,
The volleyball players will need to quickly bounce back Friday evening against Cambrai, currently 7th, just ahead of Nice. With a 4-point deficit against their next opponents, this match carries importance as, in the case of a victory, Nice might be able to reignite their playoff contention ambitions.
Nice-Hockey confirms
After a victory in Amneville, the hockey players extend a winning streak with their success against Neuilly-sur-Marne. Stan Sutor’s men took control of the game at the end of the first period thanks to Joona Peranen. But things got complicated for the Azur players at the start of the second period. The Parisians quickly equalized with a goal from Loïc Sadoun, who would score a double five minutes later. Meanwhile, Stanislas Lascek had given his teammates the lead.
The people of Nice found the resources to equalize thanks to Janne Kumpulainen and even regained the lead just before the final period (4-3 / Nicolas Motreff). The Aiglons managed the end of the match well and even widened the gap with two last goals from Karri Koivu and Jan Tomaska (6-3).
With this success, Nice-Hockey moves up to 7th place in the Championship with 28 points and will travel this Saturday to Montpellier, currently 4th in D1, the second tier of French ice hockey.
Rugby: Stade Niçois confirms
While the victory against Bastia was validated despite the game being stopped by the referee 5 minutes from the end, Stade Niçois rugby players confirmed their good form Saturday afternoon in Draguignan. On Var territory, Thomas Raybaud’s teammates won 17 to 12 in challenging weather conditions.
With 49 points and a solid second place in Group 9 of Fédérale 3, the Azur players can still dream of ascending to F2 the following season but need to close in on the leader, Berre, who holds a 4-point lead with three matches left in the regular season. For the next matchday, Nice will host Gap on Sunday at Stade des Arboras.
Water poloists of ONN narrowly defeated in Montpellier
The water polo players missed out on a fifth consecutive victory by narrowly losing in Montpellier (6-9). They remain 4th in the Elite and will host Sète on Saturday evening at the Piscine Jean Bouin for a match that promises to be just as challenging against the 3rd in the Championship.
