Defeated in Belgium after another poor performance (1-2), the Gym bids farewell to its hopes of qualifying for the Europa League. In six matchdays, the Aiglons have only earned two points.
Europa League, chapter 5 for the Aiglons: heading to Belgium. In a delicate position in the standings, 35th and second-last in the regular season, OGC Nice can no longer afford to make mistakes in a match that looks like their last chance. The Gym is still searching for a first victory on the European stage this season. As a reminder, Franck Haise’s men were coming off a thrashing against the Rangers (1-4) in the competition. A win on Belgian soil could put Sofiane Diop’s teammates back in the race for qualification.
Regarding line-ups, Franck Haise once again lamented a long list of absentees. The Nice coach relied on continuity by maintaining the same victorious tactical setup as in the match against Le Havre. Only two changes were made: Tanguy Ndombele and Gaëtan Laborde, the scorer on Saturday against the Normans, were replaced by Issiaga Camara and Youssoufa Moukoko.
Nicois neutral in the first half
The first opportunity was for Nice. The Belgians found themselves in danger through their own doing, coming very close to conceding an improbable own goal after a technical error from Saint-Gilloise’s goalkeeper. The Brussels team quickly reacted, but Fuseini failed to aim for Marcin Bulka’s goal. A first cold sweat for the Gym! On a difficult pitch, OGC Nice struggled to create plays and truly get into the match. Too passive, too slow, Badredine Bouanani’s teammates offered little in this first half.
And by continually gifting opportunities to their opponent, the Gym was logically punished. After a first save by Bulka, Franjo Ivanovic, alone in the box, opened the scoring (1-0, 33′). For the sixth time in six Europa League matches, Franck Haise’s players conceded the lead. The Polish goalkeeper then kept his team in the game by winning a one-on-one against Sofiane Boufal. But the Aiglons came back into the match just before halftime. Evann Guessand cut in at the near post, connecting with a superb cross from Sofiane Diop (1-1, 45′). Almost a miracle for Nice, as this first half had been sluggish in the red and black ranks.
European hopes vanish for the Gym
The Gym returned from the break with a completely different attitude. The Nicois set up higher sequences of play, forcing their opponent to stay in their own half. Issiaga Camara came very close to giving his team the lead. However, the young midfielder’s shot was deflected by the Belgian goalkeeper onto his crossbar. Defensively, Nice was hanging by a thread. Twice, Tom Louchet made heroic comebacks to save his defense.
But despite several changes (entries of Laborde, Clauss, and Ndombele), the Gym couldn’t turn the match around. The end of the match resembled an attack-defense phase on Nice’s part. But Franck Haise’s men didn’t want to leave themselves exposed to opposition counter-attacks. Yet, Nice crumbled on the final attack by OGC Nice. Clinically, Franjo Ivanovic defeated Marcin Bulka (1-2, 90′). The Gym suffered their fourth European defeat this season. The hopes of qualification vanish for Tanguy Ndombele’s teammates. With two points in six matchdays, the Aiglons can almost no longer hope for a spot in the playoffs.
The next match is this Sunday, December 15, for OGC Nice. The Aiglons will take on Montpellier away in the last Ligue 1 match of the 2024 year. Kick-off is at 3 p.m.
