This Wednesday, OGC Nice played their French Cup round of 16 match on the field of Saint-Brieuc. Overturned in the last moments of the match, the Eagles left the competition with their heads down.
New stage of the French Cup for OGC Nice! After [Bastia](https://www.nicepremium.fr/ogcn-football/cdf-strict-minimum-et-qualification-pour-le-gym-a-bastia-1-0/) in the previous round, the Eagles faced Stade Briochin. Heading to Brittany for Franck Haise’s men, with a possible spot in the quarter-finals of the competition at stake.
In terms of lineup, the azurean coach made many changes within his squad, as has been the case since the start of the French Cup. Affected by an ankle injury against [Toulouse](https://www.nicepremium.fr/ogcn-football/foot-logc-nice-realise-une-mauvaise-operation-a-toulouse-1-1/) last Sunday, Evann Guessand did not appear on the match sheet. However, some key players were also lined up, such as Gaëtan Laborde and Jonathan Clauss.
A well-organized team
Despite the Breton spirit, the first opportunity of the match was for Nice. A strike by Gaëtan Laborde was repelled by the Briochin goalkeeper. Very quickly, Sofiane Diop’s teammates took position in the opponent’s half. However, the Eagles lacked a little creativity to allow Gym to open the scoring in this match.
Serious and diligent defensively, the Eagles were not under pressure in this first half. Opportunities multiplied for the red and blacks, like this long-range strike from Baptiste Santamaria. The latter eventually went wide. Neck and neck, the two teams returned to the locker room with a goalless score. They still lacked that final gesture, the final pass, to allow OGC Nice to take the lead in this match.
A nightmare ending to the match
And by continuing to push, Gym finally unlocked the situation. Vigilant, Tom Louchet extended Sofiane Diop’s half-volley into the opponent’s net (1-0, 55′). A well-deserved goal for the Eagles, rewarding a good hour of play from Franck Haise’s men. After this opening goal, the pace and pressure decreased on the Nice side. The Azuréens relied on a solid block, exploiting every opportunity for transition. After a quick counter, Gaëtan Laborde came close to doubling the lead. Melvin Bard, meanwhile, sent his attempt over the opponent’s goal.
And by not securing the win, Gym paid dearly in the last minutes. After chaos in the Nice defense, Maxime Dupé was deceived by Boubacar Diakhaby’s attempt (1-1, 89′). A hard blow for OGC Nice, caught in the final moments of the match. It seemed to be heading towards a decisive penalty shootout. And ultimately no, the Niçois fell on the last opportunity of the match.
As the Eagles played their final corner, Baptiste Santamaria’s teammates were caught off guard by a quickly executed counter from the enemy (1-2, 90th). In just a few minutes, Saint Brieuc completely turned the game’s fate around. Great disappointment for Nice, who fell on the pitch of a National 2 team. Especially since the table was beginning to open up in this French Cup…
The next match is this Saturday, February 8th, for Gym. In an extremely important duel in the race for European places in Ligue 1, OGC Nice will host RC Lens. The kick-off for this match is at 5 p.m. at the Allianz Riviera.