For the return of the supporters to the Allianz Riviera, OGC Nice earned a point against Le Mans FC, coming from behind just before half-time to make it 1–1.

On Saturday, Les Aiglons were reunited with their supporters, and the occasion was an ideal opportunity to pay a poignant tribute to the 86 victims of the 14 July 2016 terrorist attack. Ten years on, with the lights turned off, the crowd, dressed entirely in white, lit up their phone flashes as one before singing at the top of their lungs, proudly performing one of the most beautiful renditions of 'Nissa la Bella' in history.

After such a special pre-match ceremony, it was time to refocus. And to keep moving forward, without forgetting.

A closely contested first half

Wearing a gold shirt in tribute to the victims of the attack, Les Aiglons were caught off guard by the visitors’ lively start. Le Mans looked the more dangerous side initially. Jean Vercruysse needed two attempts before seeing his effort go just wide (9'). Patrick Videira’s men eventually made the breakthrough. After winning the ball back, Adil Bourabaa got the better of Youssouf Ndayishimiye before firing into the top corner (13').

After 20 minutes of frantic intensity, the pace dropped. But Nice continued to apply pressure. Les Aiglons took control of the ball and possession without managing to create much genuine danger. Alex Witsel failed to keep his header on target from six yards out (29'), nor did he find the target with a longer-range effort (44').

And then came the equaliser. Sofiane Diop sent Elye Wahi through on goal, and Wahi beat both the defender and the goalkeeper before slotting the ball into the net from a tight angle (44').

First appearance for Amoura

Building on their strong finish to the first half, Les Aiglons started the second period on top. Jonathan Clauss found Elye Wahi, whose shot was blocked at the last moment by a defender (47'). Stung into action, Le Mans responded through Dame Gueye, who headed just wide of Yéhvann Diouf’s right-hand post (53').

A series of substitutions from both sides disrupted the rhythm of the game before Mohamed Amoura came on (65'). Coming on for Sofiane Diop, the Algerian international tried to provide the burst of acceleration needed to make the difference. After combining with Gauthier Hein, he came close to opening his account for Nice (73').

More importantly, his introduction sparked a spell of sustained Nice pressure, with Djibril Coulibaly (79'), Jonathan Clauss (80'), and then Elye Wahi (85') sending a shiver of excitement through the home crowd.

There was another scare at the other end when Louis Mafouta outran Yéhvann Diouf before striking the outside of the post (86').