The Gym is eliminated from the Coupe de France. Beaten (4-1) by an efficient Toulouse team, the Aiglons will have to focus on the championship for the second half of the season.
OGC Nice and the Cups are over for this season. After falling in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue, the Gym presented a younger squad in Toulouse. Dante and Atal were suspended, Saint-Maximin was not ready, and the young Eddy Sylvestre was offered his first start among the pro team, after a good performance in Strasbourg before the break, in a 3-4-3 system within which the elder Christophe Jallet inherited the captain’s armband.
While the young Aiglons held their own in the first half, they suffered from the realism of the locals who scored twice in the last five minutes. Previously, both teams failed to be dangerous with their attempts, whether it was on the Nice side with Sylvestre (21′) or Walter (25′) who couldn’t find the target, or for TFC with a tame strike from Bostock (18′) and a ball from Dossevi deflected by Jallet (28′). But Diakité (at close range at the 40′) and Gradel (in two steps in front of Benitez at the 45′) put the Niçois against the wall.
Trailing by two goals at halftime, Patrick Vieira revised his plans and brought Srarfi and Sacko into his eleven. The latter took less than three minutes to justify his entry, finishing off a nice pass from Tameze to reduce the deficit (2-1, 48′).
The game seemed reignited, which was indeed the case for about twenty minutes. During this interval, both teams went toe-to-toe. The Gym played higher and became dangerous through Sacko (54′), Cyprien (61′), or Sylvestre (66′), who was impressive in his first start. Téfécé proceeded on the counter, and on one of them, Dossevi, with a header, planted a perfect cross from Gradel into the net (3-1, 68′).
This third Toulouse goal hurt the Niçois who had gotten back into the game. In the last quarter of an hour, the Gym tried to react but confused speed with haste, and Patrick Vieira’s young team left too much space and conceded several chances. It was finally from a corner, that Manu Garcia, lurking after a header from Jullien cleared by Benitez, increased the score (4-1, 85′).
For the Gym, it’s back to the championship with the reception of Bordeaux, Saturday at 8 pm at the Allianz Riviera, for the start of the return phase.
PATRICK VIEIRA’S REACTION
Our first half was insufficient. We had too many underperforming players. We suffered a lot on our left side. Being 2-0 down at halftime made things more complicated. This system change in the second half gave us ten interesting minutes but ultimately too few to hope to get back on the scoreline. We left them the most dangerous chances on their right side. On the athletic and defensive aspect, we were insufficient. And when we had the ball, we played too cautiously. We paid a high price for it. I am very disappointed.
