This Sunday at 3:00 PM, the Gym traveled to the Raymond Kopa stadium to play its 29th Ligue 1 game against the bottom-ranked team in the league.
Almost condemned to relegation, SCO is experiencing a particularly complicated season with catastrophic results and numerous controversies. Without a win since September and the first leg against Nice, Angers had suffered five consecutive defeats, and the Aiglons needed to take advantage of that. After three consecutive draws in the championship, OGC Nice was able to use the two weeks of the international break to prepare for its match in Angers and continue its quest for a European spot. Despite the context and the need to get back to winning ways, the Gym failed in its mission and conceded another draw.
From the first seconds, the only goal scorer from the first match started things off with a nice shot saved by Kasper Schmeichel. On its first possession, the Gym attacked from the left, and after a good move between Thuram and Laborde, Moffi had no trouble finishing the cross from the former Lille player for the 0-1. Propelled by this lightning goal, the Nice team continued to press forward and created several opportunities. After a quarter-hour of intense domination, one might have expected a fine offensive performance from Nice, but it was not to be. However, after enduring the early part of the match, SCO woke up and challenged the Côte d’Azur defense. On a ball in the Nice penalty area, Todibo made the mistake of trying to leave it for Schmeichel to collect without communicating. Niane seized upon this blunder to score the 1-1. Shaken by this equalizer, the Aiglons struggled to regain their composure and went into the locker room frustrated.
A Nice reaction was expected at the start of the second half, but it was Angers that took control. The SCO players held onto the ball without being truly bothered by the Aiglons. During these phases of possession, Nice appeared uninspired against a well-organized Angers block. Apart from Thuram’s drives down the left flank, no player was active enough to create scoring opportunities. A second half clearly dominated by Angers, which might have taken the lead without Schmeichel’s numerous interventions.
OGC Nice thus conceded another draw in the championship against the worst team in the division. This result hampers their European ambitions and highlights the Gym’s poor form in recent weeks.
