Dominating their opponent for over an hour, the Aiglons then proved their solidarity to resist the return of the Girondins and head back to the Côte d'Azur with a deserved three points.

Without a win in three games, and not rewarded for their efforts against Toulouse (1-1) and Marseille (0-1), the Aiglons were able to put in a full performance in Gironde to secure their third away win of the season. Not everything was perfect, especially during a complicated last half an hour of the game, but Dante and his teammates stood strong and took home the win after not giving up from the first to the last minute.

Control for an hour...

Although they were missing two key pieces of their defence with Christophe Hérelle and Youcef Atal out injured, Patrick Vieira decided to continue with his recent tactics, placing Christophe Jallet in the middle and Patrick Burner on the right side of the defence (the Martinique-born defender’s second start of the season.

Between two sides lacking in confidence, including one who had played on Thursday evening in Russia, you could have expected a slow start to the game, but the 22 protagonists didn’t take long to show their intentions. Despite difficult conditions made worse by incessant rain falling at the Matmut Atlantique, the two sides both attacked in a first half that was full of intensity. Paradoxically, the majority of the attacks would be for the Gym (an off-target header from Coly in the 2nd minute, a strike from Balotelli on the turn in the 15th, and a stop from Costil to deny Danilo in the 18th minute) whilst the home side looked particularly dangerous on the counter-attack, using the pace of Kamano (blocked by Dante in the 3rd minute and a soft strike that was stopped by Benitez in the 7th).

The Gym were excellent coming out from the back (something that has characterised the side in the last three seasons) and dominated possession, driven forward by a back-to-his-best Cyprien and an impressive Danilo, playing at the tip of the triangle. But, as so often this season, they lacked that bit of spontaneity (and confidence?) with the final ball or a strike that would be needed to make the difference.

Despite a warning when Saint-Maximin broke down in the closing moments of the first period and needed to leave the pitch with the help of the Nice medical staff, the Aiglons’ top scorer was back out after the break. A decisive return to the pitch, given that he was the man that provided for Wylan Cyprien, who opened the scoring in the 54th minute after an excellent move that he himself had started. After breaking through the middle, he found Saint-Maximin on his left who drove towards the home defence and played it perfectly into Cyprien’s path. A calm head and accuracy when striking with his right foot, the midfielder scored his first of the season and potentially kicked off the return of the “huge” Wylan (0-1, 54’).

... and the home side who warmed up in the final half an hour

The lead was far from undeserved for a coherent and smart playing Nice side who had punished the home side at that all-important moment. But the final half an hour for Patrick Vieira’s side was more complicated. Dante was forced to throw himself in front of Briand to keep their lead in tact (55’). Briand, once again, missed the target from an excellent position. The Gym, unconsciously began to drop deeper, at the same time as Bordeaux made an attacking double substitution with the arrival of Karamoh and Cornelius. 

That bit of luck. which has so often been missing for the Aiglons at this stage this season, was on their side when Lerager “struck“ the bar with a powerful strike from 20m out, just seconds after Benitez made a superb save to deny Karamoh (69’). The Aiglons’s keeper, as well as the old guard of the back five (Dante and Jallet) were heroic in their defence, challenging for every ball in the box. The Gym’s captain sacrificed himself in the 73rd minute to block Kamano’s effort. In the dying stages of the game, it was the Argentinian colossus who beautifully punched away a Cornelius header that was destined for the back of the net.

The Gym, who could have doubled the score with Ganago’s first chance (81’), managed to keep a clean sheet and to confirm the victory that has seen them climb into the top half of the table. Before a week that will see the Red and Blacks play at home on two occasions, on Wednesday (6.45pm) against Auxerre in the Coupe de la Ligue and Saturday (8pm) against Amiens.

A.D.

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