Both Riviera clubs are entering a decisive week with the match that pits them against each other on Saturday at 5:00 PM, followed by a trip to Marseille for the Eaglets and a match against Lille for the Rock players.
Neighbor clubs. Different clubs. Everything opposes AS Monaco and OGC Nice. Each derby brings the same observations, the same articles. Monaco: the big club with the big budget, its stars, and its sparse audience. Nice: the small club with the small budget but with the warmth of its supporters and “anonymous” players with big hearts. Monaco is superior. Looking at the last three seasons: while Monaco finishes 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd, Nice ranks 10th, 11th, and 12th. The Eaglets have the weapons on a one-match basis to defeat the red and whites, but over the full set of 38 L1 matches, there’s no comparison. A snapshot: On May 1, 2004, at the Ray, a victory for ASM 2-1. It’s the only victory of Monaco over Nice since the return of OGCN to L1 in 2002. Nice is the black, and red scourge of the Principality’s players.
The semi-final of the league cup between the two Riviera clubs on February 7 confirms these facts. In terms of play and individually, Monaco is a notch above. The Monégasques had a clear technical dominance in the match. But the brave Eaglets managed to win with a goal by Ederson in the 88th minute. A late game goal. A symbol of an ASM abandoned by the luck factor as seen in Christian Vieri whose shots are attracted to the posts against Nice and Troyes, and Marco Di Vaio who doubts in his duels with opposing goalkeepers.
Monaco’s discomfort continued in Switzerland against FC Basel in the 16th round of the UEFA Cup: yet another goal conceded late in the game and especially the emblematic captain Gaël Givet injured and uncertain for Saturday’s derby. The men from Francesco Guidolin will come to Ray with a spirit of revenge. They will be eager to prove that they are the great club of the French Riviera, with difficult moments but capable of overcoming them. There is nothing like a derby in hostile territory to unite a team, to rediscover the desire to excel. In case of victory, ASM would bounce back. A defeat, and Monaco would become entrenched in the middle of the championship. A middle from which Nice hopes to escape. After a difficult first half of the season, the Gym is dramatically ascending the slope.
Who will finish as the top Riviera club?
The heart, the bravery, and a spirit of solidarity are the virtues that coach Frédéric Antonetti instills in his players. The turnaround happened the day after the defeat at Metz on December 17 with a burst of anger from the coach: “When we come back from Rennes and Metz with zero points, given the quality of these teams in the games in question, it means we are an average team, with very average players and a certainly very average coach as well. We need to work harder, give more every time. We struggle to push ourselves, that’s a fact. It’s a question of mentality, we can’t get out of our comfort zone. We don’t have the exigency of the high level in that match.” The message was received, and the players transformed. Only one defeat at Le Mans, justified after the energy spent in the semi-final, and convincing victories against Lille, PSG, and Saint-Etienne. Everything is smiling at the Gym at the start of the year. The supporters are radiant, and dream. There is nothing more beautiful for a club than to make its audience dream. They imagine themselves in ecstasy at the Stade de France on April 22. They’re setting their sights towards the top of the L1 table. Euphoric, the Eaglets have come within five short points of fourth place. The technical staff, in the image of Frédéric Antonetti, prefers not to get carried away, taking the matches one at a time, wisely, serenely.
Saturday’s meeting could be a turning point in the history of Riviera football. In case of victory, Nice would move ahead of Monaco in the standings. The Eaglets would approach the championship finish as outsiders. On their current trajectory, confidence aiding, they could hope to finish ahead of Monaco. This would be a novelty in the recent history of the two Riviera clubs. An initial answer by Saturday around 7 p.m. A definitive answer on May 13. Until then…