UEFA Europa League, Round 1, 25/09/24
Luke Entwistle reporting from Nice
OGC Nice came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad in their UEFA Europa League opener, however, they will have been disappointed not to take all three points after Evann Guessand missed a second-half penalty.
The Match
There was little between the two sides in the first half. Both sides pressed well, but the difference between the two sides was that, when Real Sociedad won the ball back high, they had space to exploit, but when Nice did so, they came up against a more compact unit.
It was in one such transition, after Rosario lost the ball from a poor Jonathan Clauss pass, that Ander Barrenetxea found himself unmarked at the edge of the box. He made no mistake, blasting past Marcin Bulka. But Nice would come back and logically drew level before the break thanks to Rosario’s effort. He had never scored for Nice prior to last week’s game against AS Saint-Étienne – now he has two goals.
Real Sociedad, struggling physically, stepped off in the second half, allowing Nice to control possession. Whilst they didn’t create too many clear-cut opportunities, they were left ruing an Evann Guessand penalty miss after Dante was pulled down in the box.
Both sides remained positive and proactive in trying to find a winner, however, neither side could find it. “I am very satisfied with the team but I think we can talks about a frustrating draw. I think it is two points that we didn’t win – not two points that we lost – but that I think we deserved,” was Franck Haise’s succinct assessment. A point, however, probably suits both sides.
Nice player ratings
Marcin Bulka – 5
Dante – 7
The Nice captain, who turns 41 next month, is inexhaustible. He was relentless in the press, even pressing as high as the opposition penalty box. He marshalled his defensive partners excellently, helping keep dangerman Oyarzabal quiet throughout.
Moïse Bombito – 6
Youssouf Ndayishimiye – 6
Melvin Bard – 5
Tom Louchet – 3
Pablo Rosario – 7
From start to finish, he was immense in controlling the midfield, and after netting his first-ever goal for Le Gym against AS Saint-Étienne on Friday, he doubled his account with a tidy and instinctive finish. In the first-half, it felt as though he was playing two roles with Louchet too lightweight in the middle of the park, but Nice were dominant in the second half, and a lot of that is thanks to Rosario.
Jonathan Clauss – 5
Evann Guessand – 5
The missed penalty in the second half really blotted his copybook in what was an otherwise complete performance. But what so often makes Guessand’s performances incomplete is his inability to finish chances. It remains his only real weakness, but it is a glaring one.
Youssoufa Moukoko – 3
Badredine Bouanani – 4
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
