There aren’t really any good times to lose, but there are some that come less well than others. This is what OGC Nice must think, runner-up and future opponent of Paris-Saint-Germain on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1, after an unexpected defeat in front of the red lantern Metz (1-0), Saturday, November 27, during the 15e daytime.
The Niçois had the opportunity to widen the gap on their competitors for the podium in L1 but the team of Christophe Galtier, uninspired, fell from high at home in front of courageous Messins.
“We got into the bad habit of starting matches badly and still winning them… We think it’s always going to happen like that, and football punishes you”, cursed the defender and captain of Nice Dante at the microphone of Canal +.
All the credit goes to Metz, compact and united, which offers itself a little air by temporarily returning to the level of the penultimate, Saint-Etienne, and a point of the first non-relegation. This is only the second Metz victory this season, the first since a success in Brest at the end of September (2-1).
In front of its public, Nice had a thousand difficulties in approaching the Metz cage, lacking speed and accuracy in a meeting hit and chopped by faults. And to purr too far from the opposing cage, the Aiglons were surprised: the Metz side Fabien Centonze, escaping the right side, launched into space Nicolas de Préville, who centered low to the ground for Centonze, scorer a flat foot (31e).
After which, the Messins knew how to make the round back in front of too clumsy Nice in the last gesture. “Winning tonight at the second, that could be a click for us”, relished Centonze.
The Niçois, them, remain second but now find themselves under the threat of Rennes, who are only one point behind, and Marseille, three points behind. These two clubs play on Sunday, respectively against Lorient and Troyes.
Lille version Ligue 1
” We can and we must ride this success. ” On the eve of the match against FC Nantes, Jocelyn Gourvennec, the coach of Lille, had raised the stake of this day for his players: “Qwhen we is capable of making a match as solid as Tuesday ” against Salzburg in the Champions League (1-0 victory), “We have to show that we can re-edit it”.
The ace. At the end of the Saturday afternoon, Lille did not really manage to “surf”. In any case, not long enough. Against the Nantes, they conceded a draw (1-1), thus prolonging a bad current series: for the reigning French champion, it is the sixth game in a row without a victory in the national championship, the third draw in a row.
However, the northerner team had taken the “top of the wave”: Burak Yilmaz had opened the scoring in the 9e minute of play, the Turk being at the penalty spot, receiving a pass back at the entrance to the opponent’s area from Jonathan Bamba.
But Lille did not manage to capitalize on this advantage. And, as is often the case in recent weeks, they have not been able to hold out over time. Against Paris (2-1), Angers (1-1) or Monaco (2-2), they conceded goals at the end of the match. Faced with Nantes, they gave in much faster.
At the 24e minute, the Nantes came back to the score: Ludovic Blas recovered the ball in front of Tiago Djalo and took advantage of a slip of the Lille defender to appear 18 meters from the goal and shoot with the left foot. After this equalization, the end of the first period will be dominated by the Nantes team, jostling their opponent showing little control and unable to shoot on goal.
“A shit match”
The Lille will be able to feed regrets, because, in the second half, after having recovered a little after an hour of play, and having increased the pressure on their opponents, they obtained a penalty in the 77e minute. But Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont repelled Jonathan David’s shot.
“We have to be a lot more focused. Do not lose the thread of the game. We have to win this match ”, declared Jocelyn Gourvennec after the meeting, welcoming, however, that his players have “Put intensity” and have “Played to the end, which was not always the case during the last performances”.
“It was a crappy match with a crappy lawn!” We had to do better. We missed a penalty… We opened the scoring again, we were caught up again… We had to regain this efficiency but once again, we did not have it tonight ”, dropped, for his part, Lille midfielder Benjamin André.
With this new draw, Lille remains at the 12e place in the Ligue 1 standings, just behind his opponent of the day.
