The Rouge et Noir gave it absolutely everything and left nothing in the tank with a thrilling and courageous performance to defeat Lens 2-0 at Allianz Riviera on Wednesday evening. Substitute Terem Moffi put his side ahead with a late brace.

With Christmas just four days away, Le Gym gave their supporters a superb early gift. Up against RC Lens (7th on the ladder at kick-off) in a top-of-the-table clash, Les Aiglons were keen to make up for their defeat at Le Havre last weekend (MD16, 3-1). And they did just that. Despite being deprived of a number of key players, Francesco Farioli's men produced the kind of performance they are famous for, full of courage, self-sacrifice and solidarity.

A DOMINANT GYM

Faced with a Sang et Or side coming off the back of an eleven-game unbeaten run in Ligue 1 and with the opportunity to move to within three points of Le Gym with a win, it took Dante and Co. a few minutes to adapt to a new formation, highlighted by Antoine Mendy's first start of the season in central defence alongside his captain. They were almost surprised from the outset when Wesley Saïd found himself in the box and unleashed a stinging left-foot shot that Marcin Bułka tipped over his crossbar (13’).

Little by little, Les Aiglons came into the game, with Melvin Bard once again impressive defensively and daring in the opposition half, as illustrated by his two slaloming runs through the Lens half (15’, 20’), the latter of which ended with a shot that flew just over. In the meantime, Hicham Boudaoui also created a huge chance; set up by Laborde, the Prince of Béchar saw his cross-shot tackled in extremis by Khusanov (16’).

BOTH TEAMS HIT THE WOODWORK

Although they had 8 shots on target in the first half, Les Azuréens lacked composure and precision, as demonstrated by their last chance of the half when Bard's cross was only half cleared by Medina. Boudaoui and Rosario tried their luck, but to no avail (45+2’).

Nice continued to work hard, hampering the Lens defence with their high pressing game all over the pitch, but they did have a few scares at the other end. Such as the goal that was rightly disallowed to Sotoca for an offside position (37’) or Pereira Da Costa's free-kick that came back off Bulka's left-hand post (57’). Evann Guessand, another that was keeping nothing in reserve, hit the post with a shot on the turn from just inside the area (58').

MOFFI THE HERO

The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw when the intensity appeared to slacken after the hour mark. But that was before Terem Moffi emerged from the substitute’s bench. The Super Eagle, who was forced to sit out the trip to Le Havre with a hamstring issue, came on for Laborde and got his first touch of the football from the penalty spot. Manhandled in the box by Abdul Samed, Guessand allowed his fellow striker to score his fifth goal of the season, sending Samba the wrong way (76’). And his fifth goal was quickly followed by his sixth, when Boga surprised everyone with a delightfully subtle chip into the path of Moffi, who just had to nod the ball into an empty net (78').

Rewarded for his efforts over the last few weeks, Nice's No.9 even came close to returning the favour to Guessand in the dying moments, but the attacker's shot flew over Samba's bar (90+6’).

The Aiglons dug so deep in this one, epitomised by Antoine Mendy struggling with cramp in the final stages, to record their tenth win of the season and their eleventh clean sheet, ending the first half of the campaign without a single home loss and in second place in the table, two points ahead of Monaco. All in all, a fine way to begin the festive season before the campaign restarts on Saturday 6 January 2024 against Auxerre in the Coupe de France.

Hugo Rondet