Emotional lift. OGC Nice, the last French representative on the European scene, only brought back a draw from Basel (2-2), Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Europa League Conference, a frustrating performance that will have to be erased within a week. The “Gym” was not in Olympic form at St. Jakob-Park. He leaves his trip to Switzerland with regrets, but the still intact hope of reaching the semi-final of the “small” European Cup.
The people of Nice, supported by some 1,800 supporters, will have the support of the Allianz Arena next Thursday and it will surely not be too much. The copy made in Basel was generally limited, with serious defensive errors and too few offensive combinations.
Russian mountains
The red and black fans have had a roller coaster-like evening since their full parking lot: the frustration of a stupidly conceded penalty (24th), the joy of a close double from Terem Moffi (38th, 45th+1), then the disappointment of an avoidable equalizer (71st) signed Zeki Amdouni. Finally, the final result fairly faithfully reflects the tenor of a match that each team dominated in sequences, without ever gaining the upper hand over the other.
“With a draw away, we manage to be disappointed, it proves that we have ambitions, that the state of mind has changed,” commented coach Didier Digard. The regrets come from the goals conceded, he admitted, but Nice “was up to the event”. “We hoped for better and we will do it in front of our audience,” he promised. A victory next Thursday would restore momentum for the French Riviera and offer French football some solace on the continental stage.
Moffi’s Sublime Return
France indeed fears for its fifth place in the UEFA index, which determines the number of places allocated to each nation in the Champions League. The Netherlands are in ambush not far away, and Feyenoord Rotterdam’s victory against AS Roma on Thursday in the Europa League (1-0) is not reassuring.
In Basel, the people of Nice could even have left with a defeat in their suitcases. Fortunately, Kasper Schmeichel kept watch on several occasions, making life-saving saves, especially in the second half (67th, 90th).
The hero of the evening could have been called Moffi, but the 23-year-old Nigerian striker’s double, in eight minutes before the break, was not enough. The second goal of the former Lorient, sublime, will remain as an unfinished masterpiece: passes between the lines of Khéphren Thuram, center stung by Gaëtan Laborde and acrobatic return from the Nigerian, a model of the genre.
The N.9 celebrated its wonder in front of the Riviera supporters gathered in the parking lot, who came with smoke bombs, a red and black “Nissa Europa” banner and even fireworks, which they fired from Barfüsserplatz in the afternoon.
Before this stroke of genius, the people of Nice played upside down, as if numbed by the Swiss coldness, overwhelmed by opposing breakthroughs in midfield and guilty of rather gross defensive errors.
They struggled with the advances of Dan Ndoye, a former member of the house. The Swiss winger caused two yellow cards quickly: first for Ayoub Amraoui (18th), then for Jean-Clair Todibo (24th), more problematic because associated with a penalty conceded. Laborde had a goal ball at the end of his foot, but Marwin Hitz repelled the threat (76th). Before the return, it’s ball in the center.