OGC Nice played the first of two friendlies this Saturday and came out on top against Feyenoord in a morning clash, winning 2-1. Franck Haise’s men opened the scoring early with a pinpoint free-kick from Clauss (9’), were pegged back in the 36th minute by Anis Hadj Moussa, and regained the lead in the second half thanks to an own goal by Ramiz Zerrouki (63’).

THE STORY OF THE MATCH

With clean build-up play, high pressing and intensity, Les Aiglons put in a well-controlled performance from start to finish. Haise’s side were quickly rewarded for their bright start, opening the scoring through Jonathan Clauss. Despite dominating, a single defensive lapse saw them concede the equalizer just before half-time.

After the break, Nice returned with the same energy. Although they created several chances without scoring, fate intervened when Ramiz Zerrouki, under pressure, headed a long ball into his own net. In a chaotic closing phase, a brilliant performance from goalkeeper Yéhvann Diouf helped Le Gym maintain their lead against a strong Feyenoord team, a side, like Nice, preparing for the Champions League third qualifying round in early August.

GOALS FOR NICE

After some superb build-up, Terem Moffi played a perfect through ball to Morgan Sanson. The midfielder, clean through on goal, was taken down at the edge of the box by a Dutch defender. Jonathan Clauss took the resulting free-kick and expertly placed a low shot into the corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance (9’).

Despite their control and a few chances, Nice paid dearly for their only real defensive error of the first half. Anis Hadj Moussa pounced on a high turnover and curled a left-footed strike into the bottom corner (36’).

Nice reacted well, but efforts from Moffi, Jansson, and Bard, before and after the break, were denied by an inspired Feyenoord keeper. Eventually, Morgan Sanson sent a long ball toward the forwards and Ramiz Zerrouki, pressured by Moffi and Jansson, accidentally headed into his own goal (63’).

TACTICAL SETUP

Franck Haise went with his usual 3-4-3 formation, highlighted by the dynamic wing-back play of Melvin Bard and Jonathan Clauss. The team stayed disciplined, building from the back, pushing the tempo, and showing quality in possession. Impressively, 8 of the starting 11 played the full 90 minutes, a promising sign ahead of the competitive fixtures just 10 days away.

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