This Sunday, the Gym traveled to Toulouse’s pitch for the 20th day of Ligue 1. The Aiglons, authors of a two-faced performance, conceded a draw at the end of the match (1-1)
Traveling to Toulouse, the Nice team’s objective was simple: to win this match to reclaim the 4th place in the Ligue 1 standings. In great form in recent weeks, Pablo Rosario‘s teammates wanted to continue their good momentum in the championship. Last weekend, the players of Franck Haise defeated their Marseille neighbors (2-0) in a heated derby. Eliminated from the Europa League, the red and black hopes now rested on the championship.
For this match, the coach from the Azure Coast could count on the return of most of his key players. Rested on Thursday, Dante, Youssouf Ndayishimiye, and Marcin Bulka were back in the Nice starting eleven. Up front, Mohamed-Ali Cho was preferred over Sofiane Diop.
An open and lively match
The start of the match favored the Violets. Marcin Bulka was already forced to intervene against Aboukhlal after just three minutes of play. Jostled by Toulouse’s high pressing, the Aiglons struggled to enter their game. But the Nice team gradually reacted. Evann Guessand got ahead of Guillaume Restes and logically won a penalty. Gaëtan Laborde did not flinch and opened the score in this match (1-0, 18′). And the Gym took the lead!
Freed, the Nice team came close to making it a two-goal lead. Laborde, once again, was denied this time by the opposing goalkeeper. Following this action, Baptiste Santamaria did not target his attempt. Then, it was Marcin Bulka‘s turn to be solicited. The Polish goalkeeper was present for each of his interventions in this first half. Even though Toulousains pushed in the last minutes, the Nice defense did not yield.
Two points lost for the Gym
The start of the second half resembled the end of the first one. The Toulouse team monopolized the ball against a compact block of OGC Nice. The Aiglons remained on the lookout for the slightest counter possibility. But the Nice defense suffered, as shown by Magri’s attempt, which did not catch Bulka‘s frame. Paradoxically, the Gym created several opportunities to put the match away. Mohamed-Ali Cho saw his shot pushed back.
On his side, Gaëtan Laborde was too short to take back a great cross from Evann Guessand. By not closing the match, the Gym played a risky game. And inevitably, in this little game, Dante’s teammates were penalized at the end of the match. On yet another opposing opportunity, Marcin Bulka released the ball into McKenzie’s feet. The Toulouse defender capitalized on this gift to equalize (1-1, 85′). A cruel scenario that hung over the Nice team, which was far too passive in the second half. Franck Haise’s players lost two crucial points in the race for Europe. In the standings, the Nice team drops one place and is now 5th in Ligue 1.
The next match is on Wednesday, February 5, for OGC Nice. The Aiglons will play their Round of 16 match in the Coupe de France, away, against Stade Briochin (N2). Kick-off will be at 8:45 PM.