This Thursday, OGC Nice faced Celta Vigo, as part of the 3rd matchday of the Europa League. With fewer players, the Gym suffered a third consecutive defeat in the competition (1-2). The Nice team’s scoreboard was still empty.
The story continues and repeats itself for OGC Nice. After a complicated start in this mini Europa League championship, the Gym had no choice. They needed to bring back points from this trip to Spain. They also needed to dispel the bad memories of last year’s disappointing run in the competition (no wins in eight matches) for Mohamed-Ali Cho‘s teammates. On the pitch of the Balaidos Stadium, Franck Haise made several changes to his starting eleven, as he hinted the day before, during a press conference.
Kevin Carlos, Ali Abdi, Tom Louchet, and Salis Abdul Samed were the big winners of this rotation. Usually substitutes, the four men started this match. Missing from the trip, Dante and Hicham Boudaoui were logically not on the team sheet. The captain of the Aiglons is managed game by game, considering his troublesome knee. On his part, the Algerian is ill and might miss the trip to Rennes this weekend. And just as they did against Fenerbahce, OGC Nice was caught cold at the start of the match.
A Reactive Nice, Then Reduced to Ten
Twenty meters from the Aiglons’ goal, Iago Aspas had all the time to take his chance. The red-and-black defense was slow to close in on the striker. The Spanish veteran—an actual legend of Celta—opened the score with a splendid strike (0-1, 2′). Less than two minutes into the game, the Gym was already trailing, a nasty habit in the Europa League for the team from the Riviera. Kevin Carlos‘s teammates took their time to digest this early opening goal. But the Gym came back into the game.
Well-found in depth by Abdul Samed, Mohamed-Ali Cho resisted a defender’s comeback before adjusting the opposing goalkeeper (1-1, 16′). The Aiglons were back in the game, despite the shaky start. Shortly after, Ali Abdi missed a great opportunity. On a free kick, the lateral struck only to find the Spanish goalkeeper, alone in front of the goal. What a chance missed for OGC Nice! Defensively shaky but rather interesting offensively, the Aiglons were walking a tightrope in this first half. The Niçois were playing dangerously, with several dangerous ball losses in their half. And Nice quickly turned things upside down for themselves. Warned twice in a few minutes for avoidable fouls, Jonathan Clauss received a red card. Franck Haise‘s team had to play with fewer players for more than fifty minutes. An expulsion that would change everything!
OGC Nice Still Not Advancing in the Europa League
This red card forced the Nice coach to revise his plans. Upon returning to the field, a defensive player, namely Antoine Mendy, came in to fill the gaps on the right wing of OGC Nice‘s defense. An offside by Marcos Alonso saved the Niçois and Yehvann Diouf, author of a costly mistake on the action, while Celta thought they had regained the lead. With ten men, the Aiglons were suffering without opportunities to show their offensive side. Understandably, Vigo eventually broke through the Nice wall.
Yehvann Diouf parried Iglesias’s shot. However, the OGC Nice goalkeeper was inadvertently deflected by Kojo Oppong. Helpless, the Ghanaian defender deflected the ball into his own net (1-2, 75′). Given the match scenario, it wasn’t undeserved for the Spanish team. Abandoned by his captain for the night, Jonathan Clauss, the Gym could never react in this second half. The group under Franck Haise continues the poor performances in the Europa League, with a third consecutive defeat in as many matches played. The Aiglons are already almost giving up any chance for qualification in the continuation of the competition.
The next match is already on Sunday, October 26, for OGC Nice. The Gym continues with another away game, this time in Ligue 1, against Stade Rennais. This match takes place as part of the 9th matchday of the championship. Kickoff at 5:15 p.m. at Roazhon Park.
