OGC Nice were defeated by Saint-Etienne this Sunday (0-1) in matchday 21.

From kick off it was a real tactical battle. Nice lined up in a 3-5-2 similarly to last week and Saint-Etienne lined up with a flat 4-4-2 relying on their forwards’ pace.

It was a real battle for most of the game but there did end up being a winner. Late in the game and in cruel fashion. Despite both sides having chances in the first half the visitors grabbed a hold of the game in the second half and as the Gym looked to have held firm they ended up conceding through a powerful Trauco turned home by Abi in the 88th minute.

The Aiglons thought that their defence would hold strong thanks to their three defenders and an impressive discipline but they tried to hit back in the final few minutes. Lotomba’s cross was blocked by a defender with a controversial challenge epitomized Nice’s afternoon.

Offensively the homme side created four changes in the 90 minutes, two in each half.

A Gouiri curled effort and a Reïne-Adelaïde strike just wide were the Gym’s best chances in the first half. Dolberg’s free-kick and Flavius Daniliuc’s run finished off with an attempt from a Kamara cross were the biggest opportunities in the final 45 minutes. But it wasn’t enough to score.

Next game: a trip to Monaco on Wednesday (matchday 23, kick off at 21:00)

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