Although it’s far from being the sole explanation for their very complicated first third of the championship, it is undeniable that success had been eluding the Aiglons since the beginning of the season. More than the three crucial points it brings, the victory at the Stadium rewarded the determination and willpower of a team that never gave up, despite the elements being against them so far and a clear lack of confidence. Perhaps it’s a sign that the Gym has weathered its storm.
Depleted in offense (Plea suspended, Sneijder and Ganago injured, Saint-Maximin not quite ready to start), organized in a 4-3-3 that looked more like a 4-5-1, Lucien Favre’s team primarily sought reassurance at the Stadium after a ‘open doors’ Sunday against Lyon. In this context, what was to be avoided? Conceding a goal early on. Yet, that’s precisely what happened in the 3rd minute, following a ball loss by Souquet, who was put under pressure after a poorly adjusted pass by Walter. Blin was quicker, his cross found Delort who got ahead of Jallet and scored from close range. A nightmarish scenario for a Gym team already in doubt. The Toulouse team, it must be said, wasn’t much more buoyant before the match. With only a two-point lead over the OGCN and just two small victories in the last 10 games, Dupraz’s side was also searching for confidence. This perhaps explained why, despite their early lead, they couldn’t keep the Aiglons’ head underwater.
The Nice responses during the first half were timid. Lees-Melou (blocked, 23’), Tameze with a header at a corner (25’), or Balotelli from distance (28’) tried to create danger, but without really worrying Lafont. The locals didn’t seem more inspired but were about to benefit from an unexpected helping hand. Booked twice in 5 minutes, captain Dante had to leave his teammates a man down, even before the end of the first period. Lucien Favre waited until halftime to reorganize his team, bringing on Malang Sarr in place of Rémi Walter.
In a 4-4-1 formation, the Gym hadn’t had time to move forward before conceding an idiotic penalty during an aerial duel between Delort and Le Marchand, where the Nice defender inadvertently handled the ball (48’). A questionable decision by Mr. Hamel, which had no consequence as Walter Benitez, already decisive in this exercise ten days ago in Caen, saved Jimmy Durmaz’s attempt! This was the first turning point of the match. Even though still behind, the Aiglons used this incident to refocus. First, it was Balotelli, completing an action initiated by Seri and continued by Souquet, who troubled Lafont in the air (53’). Then Lees-Melou, who recovered an overly long control from the Italian, infiltrated and curled a shot a few centimeters past the post, with Alban Lafont beaten.
The Red and Blacks were even more vigorous after the hour mark, with the return from injury of Allan Saint-Maximin, who hadn’t played for a month. From his first touch, the nimble winger left his counterpart Kelvin Amian in a daze. Eventually, it was on this right side of the Nice attack that the match turned. Saint-Maximin had just switched wings, but it was Arnaud Souquet, launched deep by Srarfi (another substitute), who outran Amian before being knocked over in the box. Penalty for the Gym and a red card for the Toulouse defender. Mario Balotelli didn’t flinch and, with a powerful strike, leveled the score.
At 10 against 10, there were more spaces, and the momentum was clearly on the Nice side. Encouraged by this comeback, the Aiglons intensified their pressing in midfield, pushing the Toulouse team into making mistakes. Finally, in stoppage time, on a sumptuous pass from Saint-Maximin, Bassem Srarfi volleyed to send the net shaking and give the Gym a breath of fresh air, ten days after enduring the opposite scenario in Caen. The young Tunisian international’s first official goal in the Nice shirt, at just the right moment.
On Saturday, against the championship’s last-placed team, FC Metz, the Gym must confirm this rebound to sail again in waters more befitting their status.
WORDS, WORDS…
LUCIEN FAVRE: “From the start, we conceded a very quick and more than avoidable goal. We tried to play, but we didn’t create many chances. There were no decisive runs in behind, but at least we had a fair amount of possession. However, we really lacked any threat in the opponent’s box. What was important after Dante’s sending off was not to concede a second goal. We had to stay organized, not open ourselves up too much to counter-attacks so we could reorganize things at halftime. We managed to do that, despite a penalty. If they had scored to make it 2-0, given our current situation, it would’ve been hard to come back, but Benitez’s save gave us momentum. We saw the players’ reaction after Benitez’s stop. We also sensed some nervousness in the opponent. Even with 10 men, we continued to play, creating ‘half-chances’, not very clear-cut but showing there were doubts on their side. We earn this penalty through Souquet, well set up by Srarfi, and at 1-1, the psychological dynamics change. Toulouse are caught at home by a team of ten, unable to impose their game, so we had a mental edge at that moment. Finally, a beautiful goal for 2-1 at the best time, with a lovely cross and a nice finish.”
MIKA SERI: “It was a hard-fought match, with a bad scenario, conceding that goal, then a sending off. We didn’t give up. Considering the situation we are in, we need that, solidarity like tonight. Today, even if we didn’t manage to develop our game as we would have liked, the important thing is to show a good image, be present in duels, and be united. Even with 10, we didn’t give up, we believed until the end. It gives us a boost and confidence for the future. We need to stay very simple in what we know how to do and not get carried away. Just because we won here in a tough match doesn’t mean everything is rosy. Everything is not rosy, we need to continue. This match must be a reference for us, we’ll go for the points like this, match after match. At no point did we say it was over, even when they had the penalty, because we trust our goalkeeper. We had to face it, and Walter did great. Behind that, it gave us total confidence; we said to ourselves: ‘there’s something to play for.’ We gave everything, and the victory came to us. It’s all for the best.”
