At the Allianz Riviera,
After the poor performance against Clermont on Sunday, the Gym found its colors. A festival of goals, a trio in a state of grace… On Wednesday evening, OGC Nice qualified for the semi-finals of the Coupe de France with style, inflicting a real correction on Olympique de Marseille (4 -1). A new feat, after having already released PSG, with a particularly brilliant Justin Kluivert.
Victim of two injuries, a breakdown then a hamstring injury, last fall, the young Dutchman finally made “a top match”, according to Christophe Galtier. If the manager admitted that the player on loan from AS Roma (with a purchase option of 15 million euros) “lacks [jusqu’alors] of stats, assists and goals”, the latter largely made up for in the Southern derby. Against Marseille, Justin Kluivert chained them.
The jubilation of the supporters of@ogcnice after club qualification, correcting the@OM_Official 4-1, for the semi-finals of the @French Cup ! #OGCNOM @AllianzRiviera pic.twitter.com/iGe4PkcCZH
— Fabien Binacchi (@fabienbinacchi) February 9, 2022
Two goals and one assist
After the opening of the score by the camp of Jorge Sampaoli, from the 3rd minute, the infernal trio that he formed with Andy Delort and Amine Gouiri was decisive. After the equalizer, signed by the Franco-Algerian center-forward, it was their joint action and a header from Justin Kluivert that allowed the Gym to regain the advantage (2-1, 29th).
The winger again distinguished himself back from the locker room, by delivering a real missile into the cages of Pau Lopez (3-1, 49th). And also by serving an assist to Delort for the fourth goal of the Gym. A real festival for the player trained at Ajax.
“He has been gaining momentum, gradually, since his return from injury. [Sur ce match], I took the option of putting it on the right side for quite specific reasons, commented Christophe Galtier. I knew he was going to be more of a passer. There was success in this choice but it is mainly linked to what put him in the match. »
“I came to Nice to show my level”
At the Eurosport microphone after the meeting, the 22-year-old explained that he “came to Nice to ride [son] level, to show [ses] capabilities”. The Aiglons supporters had an incredible glimpse of it in this quarter-final. Now “we are ready for the next match” and “I believe in our team to go all the way”, decided Justin Kluivert.
To hope to win the trophy, won for the last time in 1997, it will first be necessary to go through the semi-final against Petit Poucet of National 2. “We will only know after the match if this draw is a good draw. Playing Versailles means nothing. We must respect our opponent, ”warned club president Jean-Pierre Rivère. “The whole of France will be for Tom Thumb and that’s normal, says Christophe Galtier. It will be necessary to go there with a lot of lucidity and humility. »