This Wednesday the Gym were victorious against Nîmes in matchday 28 of Ligue 1 (2-1).

Against the Nîmes Olympique not everything went swimmingly for the Aiglons. They didn’t control the game as well as they did against Rennes and weren’t as compact either making them exposed to the Nîmes attacks. Despite that in an end to end contest they did what was needed: an important win that was sealed in the last fifteen minutes thanks to a superb Claude-Maurice finish that crowned the number 10’s performance off and also thanks to a Benitez stop in the 93’.

Setting up in a 4-3-3 formation the Aiglons picked a similar side to the one in the Roazhon Park. One change: Atal replacing Nsoki. The Algeria international started on the right wing with Kamara going back to his preferred left back position.

Youcef Atal coincidentally came out all guns blazing and then unsurprisingly slowed down as the game went on as he was playing in his first game since January 23. He was at the start of the two first Aigons attacks and the number 20 oversaw his side scoring the opener early on.

After a long ball from Schneiderlin, Gouiri took the ball down with the outside of his boot and scored his 15th goal of the season in all competitions at the near post (1-0, 4’).

The Rouge et Noir carried on the pressure and attacked for 20 straight minutes creating multiple chances. One of them seeing Atal hit his effort slightly wide.

Nîmes then dominated the end of the first half and created some opportunities from set pieces thanks to Koné. They were finally rewarded minutes into the second half from a corner when Landre headed home (1-1, 50’).

After that the game livened up. With Lees-Melou replacing Boudaoui (injured) the game became end to end as both sides gave everything as Gouiri hit the post and Eliasson hit the bar at the other end.

In a crazy end to the game it was finally the Rouge et Noir who got the goal. After Lotomba and Myziane combined well down the right the cross was deflected off of Burner and landed at the feet of Claude-Maurice who finished across goal like he did in the same fixture last year (2-1, 75’).

During the final quarter of an hour Nice nearly scored a third through Dolberg but didn’t manage it. The game remained tight until the end of added time as Benitez won his one on one with Eliasson to secure a vital win.

The game in pictures:

Reynet comes out to deny Myziane

Played in by Schneiderlin, Gouiri finds the opener in the fourth minute

Benitez positions his defence for a corner

Scorer at Rennes (1-2) Daniliuc was once more on the right hand side of the Nice defence

Out since January 23 at Lens (0-1), Youcef Atal returned to the starting line up

The winning goal from Claude-Maurice fifteen minutes from the end

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