OGC Nice missed the chance to climb to third place in Ligue 1 as they fell to an impressive 2-1 defeat against Nantes at the Allianz Riviera. This result means Nantes have now extended their unbeaten streak against Nice in head-to-head encounters to seven matches, boasting four wins and three draws.
Nice entered the match without a win in their last three league fixtures (D1, L2), urgently needing to start strong against their mid-table opposition.
However, it was Nantes that surged out of the blocks quickly. After Matthis Abline squandered an early opportunity, Douglas Augusto struck first in the 11th minute, dispatching a shot from outside the box to find the back of the net, marking his third goal of the season.
Refusing to be deterred by this early blow, Nice rallied just three minutes later, equalising when Ali Abdi sprinted onto a through ball from Hicham Boudaoui and finished neatly under the body of goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.
With newfound momentum, Nice looked to take the lead as Gaëtan Laborde’s effort was expertly saved by Lopes, and Jeremie Boga rattled the post with a long-range strike. Yet, it was Nantes that reclaimed the lead in the 38th minute, with Abline reacting quickest inside the box to net an angled finish.
Determined to claw their way back into the match, Nice dominated the opening exchanges of the second half. Despite their relentless efforts, the Nantes defence stood strong, with Jonathan Clauss and Laborde both sending shots wide of the target.
With less than half an hour remaining, Nice continued to search for an equaliser. Boudaoui was pivotal for Nantes, successfully denying Badredine Bouanani on two occasions in quick succession.
The pressure ramped up for Nantes as Nice pushed hard for a leveler in the dying moments. Boga headed just wide from close range with 15 minutes left, which ultimately turned out to be their best chance to equalise. Nantes secured only their fourth victory of the 2025 campaign, while Nice will be eager to bounce back against Strasbourg next weekend after suffering their third defeat in four league matches.
Check out a summary of the match here
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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