After a promising pre-season and interesting friendly matches, the players of the Nice club ultimately missed their competitive debut.
First home match and first defeat for Marjan Kolev’s players, who lost 25 to 19 against Metz HB.
In front of their fans, the Nice players were trailed throughout the match by their opponents from Lorraine.
Momentarily shaken by a defensive Nice team (8-8 at the 22nd minute), Metz Handball gradually took the upper hand over their evening opponent, led by Ana Gros, who returned to the top scorers’ heights (8 goals).
Emmanuel Mayonnade’s players managed to make a first break approaching halftime (8-12 at halftime), before securing a significant lead entering the final quarter-hour (12-18 at the 49th minute).
OGC Nice Côte d’Azur did not give up, exemplified by Carmen Martin (7 goals) in form for her grand debut in LFH, but the French champions showcased their collective strength to win comfortably (20-24 at the end).
The Nice team will need to quickly recover, starting with their next match against Brest. This match will take place on Saturday, September 3.
