Coupe de France – Quarter-final: Nice crushes OM (4-1) and qualifies for the semi-final

After having offered the scalp of PSG in the round of 16, Nice did not tremble against Marseille. Authors of a masterful match, the Aiglons were able to count on an immense Justin Kluivert to climb easily into the last four of the Coupe de France (4-1). After an interesting start, symbolized by the opener, OM dived and suffered the law of an opponent well above the rest. The final score is likely to leave traces in the minds of Marseille, while there is always a place on the podium to ensure in Ligue 1. For its part, Nice is more and more comfortable in the costume of favorite of the competition.

It was a final before the hour and, alas, there was not really a match. Everything had not started very well for the people of Nice, who took a few minutes to get into it. This lapse of time benefited OM, who found the net in their first situation. On a strike from Cengiz Ünder, Marcin Bulka pushed the ball back to Melvin Bard, for an own goal (0-1, 4th). It still took the intervention of the VAR to validate the goal. The assistance also signaled to allow Amine Gouiri to equalize in stride, thanks to a sublime sequence, at the limit of offside (1-1, 11th).

Kluivert hovered over the encounter

Nice had the merit of not allowing doubt to settle for too long in this part. As proof, Justin Kluivert quickly gave his team the advantage after a perfectly executed movement, a header to improve a good cross from Andy Delort (2-1, 29th). Cornered, the Marseillais could only see the damage: with each offensive movement from Nice, or almost, the danger was there. And, quickly, the confidence displayed during the first minutes crumbled. Jorge Sampaoli’s men never again knew how to respond to opposing control.

The second period also looked like a long ordeal for OM, who could have equalized from the start thanks to Cedric Bakambu, offside on a pass from Dimitri Payet (48th). Because this 2-2 situation turned into 3-1, since Kluivert, again him, sent a sublime shot into the back of the net, certainly helped by the hand fault of Pau Lopez (3-1, 49th) . Bulka, he was not mistaken when it was necessary to repel a strike from Bakambu, during a face-to-face which could have allowed Marseille to believe in it again (53rd). The last word will ultimately be for Delort, who was successful on a cross from… Kluivert, more than ever man of the match (4-1, 61st).

Nice, which has already created a surprise by dismissing PSG, defending champion, in the previous round, has therefore more than earned its ticket to the semi-finals. Christophe Galtier’s Aiglons, if they manage to maintain this level, can really believe in their chances of lifting the Coupe de France in a few weeks. We will certainly have to beat Monaco to achieve this, but we say to ourselves that the Gym is certainly no longer a Ligue 1 shock away.