Declared outsider of this championship, Nice
had a status to uphold, this Friday, against the promoted Saint-Etienne. The Côte d’Azur club has opened a new chapter under the tutelage of Franck Haise, and the beginnings of this campaign are quite contrasting for these Aiglons, who were stuck in the middle of the table with 4 points in 4 games at the start of this meeting.
Opposite, the Greens arrived on the Côte d’Azur with a clear boost in confidence, a week after an unexpected success against Lille (1-0). But Olivier Dall’Oglio’s team had to deal with a cascade of forfeits, like their host that evening. And it was the Greens who paid dearly for it. Overwhelmed in all areas of the game, the promoted team suffered a real beating in a one-sided match.
Nice inflicts record score at half-time
It only took Nice one half to wrap up this match – and what a half! Ultra-realistic, conquering, generous, the Aiglons delighted their fans on their new pitch by scoring goals like pearls. Clauss forced Datubinsika into making a mistake (1-0, 4th) before Ndombele doubled the lead with a powerful strike (2-0, 8th). Cho (3-0, 24th), Guessand (5-0, 37th) and new recruit Moukoko, twice (3-0, 26th; 6-0, 39th) then added to the score in this first half that turned into a correction.
The second act was almost dull compared to the first, but Nice, who had sealed the match a long time ago, found the resources to add two new goals in the last quarter of an hour, by Diop (7-0, 75th) and Rosario – on penalty (8-0, 86th). It was a birthday evening for OGC Nice. Among other attractions, the faithful of the Allianz Rivera had been treated to a parade of former glories, but they certainly did not expect a roller coaster.
