For their opening playoff match of the Ligue Magnus, the Nice Eagles were dominated by Grenoble. A match controlled by the Brûleurs de Loups despite a slight scare.
The 2024/2025 Ligue Magnus season is entering its final phase. The top eight teams after 44 matches will compete for the championship title. Having qualified in eighth position following a difficult end to the season (with only one win in February), the Eagles drew the Brûleurs de Loups from Grenoble. This team is the scarecrow of the season, having finished the regular phase in first place with a 14-point lead over the second place. Needless to say, the task looks more than complicated for Nice.
This does not worry the Eagles’ general manager, Nicolas Tomasini: “The playoffs bring a very different atmosphere and stakes compared to the regular phase. We work hard all season for this specific moment. Grenoble is also a special place. It’s the place of the title favorite. The pressure is on them, and we’re coming in ready. That’s the backdrop.” The matter is clear.
The team from the Azure Coast has nothing to lose and will make it known. Very active on the attack at the start of the match, the visitors manage to score first. And it’s a comeback from Taavi Tiala who stands out. Returning after a month’s absence, the Finn benefits from a pass by his captain Nicolas Ruel to open the score (0-1). Surprised, the Grenoble players increase the pace but fail to score in the first third.
The awakening of the Brûleurs de Loups
Returning from the locker room, Grenoble takes control. Conrad Molder is heavily solicited but eventually yields after about twenty attempts from Grenoble. In a power play (superiority), Alexandre Mallet manages to score after a recovery in traffic. Grenoble equalizes at 1-1 a little before the half-hour mark and continues to push. But Nice does not give in. The Maralpine goalie stops 24 Isère attempts in the first 40 minutes. A fine performance reflective of his season, as he has earned the starting spot that was promised to Raphaël Garnier at the beginning of the season.
However, the performance of a single goalie is rarely a guarantee of a good result. Although the team showed solidity in the defensive sector, the lack of possession eventually turned the game. A little more than ten minutes before the end of the match, Grenoble is once again in a power play. Well served by Alexis Binner, the serial passer François Beauchemin (32 assists this season) turns into a scorer (2-1). A goal that leaves traces in the minds of the Nice players who crack again a few seconds later. This time it is the young Mathias Bachelet (21 years old) who finds the opening. The score of 3-1 will not change until the final whistle.
Now it’s necessary to get back into the fight tomorrow, still in Grenoble for the second match of these quarterfinal playoffs.
