After an intense game, the U19s of the Gym beat Monaco in the Round of 16 of the Coupe Gambardella (3-1). Lu Joves knocked-out the holders of the title and secured their place in the Round of 8 of the competition.

Nice against Monaco. Coupe Gambardella. Some winter sun and the support of the Niçois. A feeling of déjà vu surrounded the derby of the U19s taking place in the middle of February. The young Aiglons managed to make the most of it and to take home a superb team victory and bring back the good memories of their predecessors.

Beaten on two occasions by Monaco in the league, the young Niçois set out their plan earlier on in the week: “We have the chance to get one over them, we can’t miss this opportunity.” The teammates of Youssef Abdelli, responsible for these wards, brought those words into action, as they were lead by their number 9 at the start of the second-half. Just after the break, Abdelli, a player at ease with his back to goal up top, escaped the Monaco defence and won a penalty. He stepped up and made no mistake.

This was to be the first goal in a game that would come into its own in the last 30 minutes.

While the first-half descended into a tactical battle, in which the Aiglons (set-up in a 4-3-3 at kick-off) and their opponents traded tit for mat (without putting themselves into trouble), it was in the second-half that the Gym came into their own. This was necessary on two occasions, because the neighbours from the principality pulled one back through a penalty from Bongiovanni (65'). A penalty from which Vicenzo Bezzina, imperious and fully concentrated throughout the game, had no chance of stopping.

A DEVASTATING EFFORT

“Enjoy it, but be careful not to go over the top. If not, you will lose the match", warned coach Malaspina during his pre-match briefing. His players listened to him and did as he said even in the moments in which the tension became more and more palpable. And better still, they avoided the trap and made the most of the conditions. It was a difficult pitch? The Aiglons were a force to be reckoned with driven by an insatiable desire, whilst Monaco persisted with a short passing game, without going long.

Never refusing the game, Alvaro Ngamba’s teammates, strong and resilient in the middle, favoured a direct approach in the closing stages of the game in order to drive them to victory. What an idea.

Like a hero, defender Matthieu Dario followed in on a free-kick from Yrles Téoro-Kurzawa that the Monaco defence struggled to deal with and gave his side the advantage with a sliding tackle. With a numerical advantage following the sending off of Serrano, the Red and Blacks had everything in their hands to eliminate their neighbour. A break from Hicham Mahou ensured the victory.

Watched by 1500 Niçois and certain pros, the players secured a happy Sunday for all. “The adventure begins, now they need to continue…” expressed Yoan Cardinale after the game.

An exciting adventure now awaits.

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