The Aiglons have once again applied their winning recipe. Nice won by the smallest of margins on the Clermont pitch on Friday, opening the 10th day of Ligue 1 (0-1). Overall dominant but also very solid and surgical as often since the start of the season, Francesco Farioli’s men ended up finding the fault through Hicham Bouadoui (74th). They have a third success with the same score and are provisionally leaders.
The Clermontois were warned and showed themselves to be more than cautious from the start with a reinforced defense despite their first success of the season obtained in Lyon recently (1-2). Unable to get the ball out and cross the halfway line, they showed nothing offensively. Prominent in the Rhône, attackers Shamar Nicholson and Muhammed Cham barely touched the ball in the first half and their team reached the break without having taken a single shot.
Laborde misses a penalty
Opposite, Nice presented itself with much more intention and a great ability to press high. Preferred over Terem Moffi to occupy the forefront of the attack, Evann Guessand came up against Mory Diaw (8th). Gaëtan Laborde, for his part, threw himself well at the far post on a cross from Jérémie Boga coming from the left but could only send the ball gently onto the upright (10th).
However, the Aiglons then lost the plot. Boudaoui still obtained a penalty but Laborde, too tense, sent the ball into the Auvergne sky (37th). The former Rennais had already missed his last penalty against Auxerre in March. Well served in the zone of truth, Morgan Sanson did not aim much better and shot at Max Caufriez (43rd).
Boudaoui does it again
At the restart, Farioli chose to start Romain Perraud in place of Melvin Bard, a choice which could seem curious because the former Lyonnais had brought into his left lane even if the rare Auvergne counterattacks had gone on his side. Clermont was also shaken and the two teams struggled in midfield.
The locals even ended up giving in and Nicholson alerted Marcin Bulka (72nd and 73rd). Except that Nice punished its opponent straight away with a cross from Perraud on the left and an easy recovery from Bouadoui in front of Mory Diaw’s cage to open the scoring (0-1, 74th). The Algerian scored a similar goal in Metz on a pass from Bard (8th day) and the final result was the same. Like the Messins and many others, the Clermontois, still penultimate in the ranking, failed to respond against the best defense in the championship which signed a 5th match in a row without cracking.