OGC Nice traveled to Stade Océane this Sunday afternoon to face Le Havre during the 22nd day of Ligue 1. A clash of extremes with a 20-point gap between the two teams before kickoff. The Eagles showed their superiority and return with a valuable victory (3-1).
The match starts with a bang. From the first minute, Issa Soumaré finds himself in an ideal position but his header misses the target. Three minutes later, it’s Baptiste Santamaria‘s turn to shoot hard at the edge of the box, his low shot skimming past the left post.
Nice then takes control of the match. In the 16th minute, Gaëtan Laborde opens the score just like in the first leg. A long ball from Santamaria finds Guessand who performs a superb control before passing to his teammate. The former Rennes player follows through with a powerful shot that beats the Le Havre goalkeeper.
The Eagles don’t give their opponents any time to breathe. A minute later, Jonathan Clauss sends a strong cross into the box towards Mohamed-Ali Cho. In the confusion, Youte Kinkoue pushes the ball into his own net. Nice leads 2-0 in the span of 60 seconds!
Le Havre, stung into action, tries to respond. In the 28th minute, Mahamadou Diarra threads a magnificent pass into the path of Yassine Kechta. Alone at the edge of the box, the Le Havre midfielder shoots centrally and beats Marcin Bulka, who was not faultless on the move.
The end of the first half is more balanced. Le Havre presses and tries harder, but Nice remains dangerous on every incursion. At halftime, the Niçois lead 2-1 with perfectly shared possession (50-50).
A Closed Second Half
The second half is more scrappy, dominated in possession by Le Havre, without being truly threatening. Nice, well-organized defensively, lets them come forward and tries to exploit the spaces on the counter.
In the 63rd minute, Evann Guessand thinks he has extended the lead, but his goal is disallowed for offside. This warning does not change the match’s dynamic: Nice manages their lead and locks access to their box.
Le Havre presses but lacks inspiration against Nice’s defensive block. The home side shoots seven times in the second half, but only one attempt is on target. This defensive solidity allows Franck Haise’s men to maintain their lead.
A Tense End to the Match but Fortunately for Nice
Even though Nice lacks opportunities in attack, they also concede few dangerous situations. The only downside of the match occurs in stoppage time: Melvin Bard receives a second yellow card and leaves his team with ten men.
But paradoxically, this expulsion frees Nice. On a final offensive, Jérémie Boga perfectly sets up Sofiane Diop who scores with a precise shot. Nice definitively secures the victory (3-1) and reclaims 3rd place in Ligue 1.
The Eagles will maintain their good momentum and look to further solidify their position at home against Montpellier next Sunday at 17:15.