OGC Nice avoided a poor result by bringing back a draw after being led (2-2). However, the Eagles lose two more points on Paris and Monaco.
Four days after their fine performance against AS St Etienne, the Eagles needed to confirm with the first of their two consecutive trips to Brittany (they will go to Lorient next Saturday). Pleased with his 4-3-3 formation, which worked well against the Greens, Lucien Favre retained the same system, with Koziello returning from suspension to replace Walter in the starting eleven.
However, unlike their flamboyant start against ASSE at the Allianz Riviera, the Niçois were disturbed, even stifled from the beginning by Stade Rennais’ intense pressing. The Breton team, still in search of a victory in 2017 in Ligue 1 (four draws and one defeat), did not show the symptoms of a team lacking confidence in their match start. Well served by Sio, it was through a brilliant chip that Nice-born Morgan Amalfitano opened the scoring for SRFC (1-0, 6th minute).
Eight days ago in Monaco, the Eagles had trouble on the right side of their defense. This time, it was the left side where the main local attacks concentrated, with the Amalfitano – Sio duo posing great difficulties for Dalbert. Just as the Gym began to benefit from Rennes’ pressure to play behind the Breton defense (a beautiful opening for Pléa intercepted in extremis by Costil, 19th minute), Stade Rennais made the break on a confused action. A missed shot by Prcic deflected by Baysse was successfully taken by Sio. The assistant referee raised his flag but reconsidered a few seconds later, seemingly logically (2-0, 20th minute).
An additional blow for the Gym: after a clash with Pedro Mendes, Alassane Pléa requested a change, seemingly having twisted his right knee. The top scorer for Nice was replaced by Anastasios Donis shortly before halftime. The Gym avoided 3-0 in the last seconds with a good save from Cardinale against Mubele.
After the break, the locals continued their harassment. The Gym, which could no longer bear being pushed back to the outskirts of its area, managed to play higher but inevitably left spaces behind. On one of these, Mubele performed a small feat on the left side, passing Souquet before cutting inside Dante, but alone against Cardinale, he missed the easiest part by “topping” his shot into the turf (51st minute).
An incredible chance for 3-0 that the Rennais would regret for a long time. A few minutes later, the Gym got back into the game thanks to Tassos Donis’ first goal in Red and Black, at the start and conclusion of a beautiful move with Valentin Eysseric. The Greek perfectly crossed his shot to reduce the score (2-1, 59th minute).
After another good breakthrough by Donis, Cyprien was on the verge of equalizing, but his shot ended up in the Roazhon Park stands (65th minute). Lucien Favre had lamented in Monaco that his team rushed and became disjointed in their attempt to come back, something his men seemed to have heard. While Rennes continued to pose a threat through the unstoppable Sio (lobbed shot slightly off target, 74th minute), the dynamic was Niçois. Donis performed a “nutmeg” on Bensebaini before crossing his shot too much. Like the first goal, it was a superb one-two, this time from the center circle between Seri and Eysseric, that allowed the Gym to draw level. Two against one and after a 35m run, Eysseric fixed Costil and equalized the teams (2-2, 81st minute).
There were ten minutes left, and although the point brought back from Brittany was very positive, the Eagles launched a few more attacks against a Breton team that was physically flagging. Two counter-attacks in the last seconds of the match could have allowed the Gym to overthrow their host. With this draw, the Gym sees Monaco and Paris widen the gap, but as consolation, the gap with their pursuers increases, and the podium seems increasingly within reach. For the title, it seems we’ll have to try again.
The stat: 13
Trailing 2-0 until the 59th minute this Sunday at Roazhon Park, the Niçois overturned a situation that seemed decidedly compromised, managing to snatch the point of the draw thanks to goals from Donis and Eysseric (2-2).
An unprecedented comeback for nearly 13 years, as it is the first time Nice has not lost after being down 2-0 at halftime away in the elite since October 2, 2004, and the memorable derby in Monaco (3-4 victory).
Reaction from Lucien Favre
As I said, Rennes is a team that is slowly taking shape. They have found their system in a 4-4-2. They press very high and are very difficult to get through. Between their back lines and their attackers, who are their first line of defense, there is very little space. We had to play more simply, directly over the defense. On the first goal, we weren’t 100% ready to defend. I speak for the whole team. At halftime, we said nothing is ever impossible. We knew a goal was all it took to get back on track. That’s what we did. It’s very good to have come back to 2-2. Now, we must not repeat such a match start. In the end, both teams were close to making the break. I think it’s a good point today. As for the standings, I’m not concerned about the other clubs. I just want my team to do the best possible. Psychologically, it was very important to come back in this game. We could notably rely on the contribution of the substitutes, who were good (Donis, Obbadi, and Le Marchand).
Reaction from Valentin Eysseric
It’s simply a good point won, period. It’s difficult to take points in Rennes, especially when you start as badly as we did today. We finished well, in the last minutes we could have scored the third but also conceded it. We’ll settle for the draw. We were slightly down when going into the locker room. The team leaders refocused us, and we said we needed to show that we were a group with a good mindset. We’re happy about that today. For the goal, I saw that I had a lead on the defender. I took my time, felt the defense coming back. My first idea was to pass it to Younes but I eventually chose to shoot because there was a space, it went in, so much the better.
