It was a matter of battle for Europe and for the preservation, Sunday 17 April, for the continuation of the 32nd day of the Ligue 1. Nice (2-1 against Lorient) achieved a narrow but important success at the top of the standings, when Nantes ( 1-1 against Angers) and Strasbourg (1-1 at Troyes) were slowed down. Metz and Clermont neutralized each other (1-1) and remain in the red zone after the success of Saint-Étienne on Saturday (2-1 against Brest). In the end, Montpellier and Reims left good friends behind (0-0) in a no-stakes match. Back to the highlights of an afternoon rich in trekking.
A double value Delort
That was necessary to stop the negative spiral. Seeking success for four games, Nice thought it continued its scarcity against Lorient (2-1), as an aperitif for the day. But Andy Delort, already a goalscorer from the penalty spot, emerged to catapult a center of Kasper Dolberg into the cage and give the Aiglons the win at the end of the game (88th). The gold-colored striker is in a sense the Gym’s lucky charm: once he scores, his club doesn’t lose.
The Gym returns to victory
Make way for the derby at the neighbors @AS_Monaco Wednesday ! #OGCNice #OGCNFCL pic.twitter.com/VMHC73xH8g
—OGC Nice (@ogcnice) April 17, 2022
Delort’s ten goals in the competition have given the Azureans a total of eleven points. Above all, his success comes at the right time, when his companions Dolberg and Gouiri have failed to score seven and ten matches respectively. If OGC Nice (4th with 54 points) is still in the running for the C1 despite a slow offensive production, it’s largely thanks to its Algerian international.
Strasbourg marks time
Is racing going to be European? Their 5th place is encouraging, but the current dynamics are not in favor of the Alsatians. Controlled in Troyes (1-1), Strasbourg failed to hold onto the wheel of Nice and Monaco, both victorious this weekend. Troubled by a catchy promotion, now four points above the red zone, Strasbourg needed a penalty to open the scoring from Habib Diallo (55th). Julien Stéphan’s players thought they had a narrow success, but Florian Tardieu equalized on another penalty (85th).
A symptomatic quid pro quo of the Alsatian spring. Strasbourg may be unbeaten for three months, but the club has a sixth draw in eight appearances. The problem is especially insulting: the average of 1.9 goals per game before halftime has fallen to 1.23 since January. It will take more to find Europe.
