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10 days after the end of the 2017-18 season and 70 days before the next campaign begins, OGCNICE.com offers you a chance to dive back, month by month, into the longest season in the Gym’s history.

After the storm in October, the Niçois had a stormy month in November, at the end of which they did, however, manage to get back up to their level.  

The story 

The bad period continued for a large part of the month, despite the win at Dijon (1-0). The good news arrived on the International scene: the Aiglons confirmed their place in the Round of 32 of the Europa League before the final game of the group stage, thanks to a second win over Zulte (3-1). 

In L1, every thing was getting more complicated for the Gym who collapsed at home to Lyon (0-5). And then came the turning point... Trailing at Toulouse, and down the 10 men, the team found themselves on the cliff edge at the start of the second half. Benitez, who had started since the trip to Paris, saved a penalty from Durmaz, and the match turned on its head. In the minutes that followed, Balotelli equalized and Srarfi secured the win in the final seconds of the game (2-1). The wheels seemed to have finally started turning...

The key moment

Aiglon of the Month

Due to the injury to Yoan Cardinale, he started his first match of the season at the Parc des Princes. From that moment on, Walter Benitez secured his place in the Nice goal. Full of confidence, the keeper began to make and then reproduced key saves. After keeping a clean sheet against Dijon, he saved a penalty (and put in a huge performance) at Caen, then another just after at Toulouse. In short, he proved himself decisive during the important moments. Something that convinced you to choose him over Super Mario during the election of Aiglon of the Month.  

The extra information 

Before the match at Toulouse, Jean-Pierre Rivère and Julien Fournier spoke to the squad, as Pierre Lees-Melou explained: “That 17th or 18th were definitely not the positions we should be in. Sometimes, you can't be afraid to look each other in the eye and to say things. It wasn't harsh, tense, or anything else, but it was frank. We knew that things weren't going well. They just said the truth, simply. I think that it was a turning point, even if in the match that followed, we did well.

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