Nice defeated St. Etienne 4-1 in a match played for the national championship. The match had a balanced and goalless first half, but the final stage brought an intense offensive dynamic. Elye Wahi scored twice in the final minutes, including a cover shot, securing the positive result. Referee Ruddy Buquet ended the game at 90+10 minutes after a series of interventions by the video referee and substitutions. The victory consolidates the home team’s position on the leaderboard.
The course of the match and the teams’ stance in the first half
The opening whistle marked the beginning of a confrontation where St. Etienne tried to establish control of ball possession in the first few moves. The visiting team sought to impose their pace of play through short passes and quick transitions through the midfield. Irvin Cardona assumed the role of the main offensive articulator, attempting deep passes to pierce the opponent’s defensive line. Nice’s defenders maintained a compact positioning and intercepted the main attacks in the opening minutes. The tactical organization of both teams resulted in a truncated game with few clear finishes in the first half of the initial stage.
Aos 7 minutes, St. Etienne created his first real opportunity for danger. Após a cross originating from a free kick, Irvin Cardona found space inside the penalty area and headed the ball, but the shot went over the bottom line. Nice’s response followed, with Melvin Bard and Elye Wahi articulating plays on the sides of the field. Both players tried offensive plays to destabilize the visiting team. Aos 9 minutes, the net shook as Irvin Cardona finished with precision. The move was reviewed by the video referee system, which pointed to an offside at the origin of the move and disallowed the goal after 10 minutes. The score remained unchanged until halftime.
Alterações forced and the opening of the scoring in the complementary stage
The return for the second half required immediate changes to the structure of the home team. Melvin Bard and Mohamed-Ali Cho had physical problems during the break and needed to be replaced due to injury. The Nice technical committee promoted the entries of Sofiane Diop and Kail Boudache to restore the affected sectors. The St. Etienne also made a strategic change, with Julien Le Cardinal leaving the field for Mickael Nade to enter. Aos 47 minutes, Brazilian defender Dante committed a serious foul and received a yellow card. The physical intensity of the confrontation increased considerably in the first minutes of the final stage.
The visiting team intensified the pressure on the attacking field and almost opened the scoring. Aos 54 minutes, Lucas Stassin found space on the edge of the box and fired a powerful shot that exploded onto the goalkeeper’s left post. The wasted opportunity cost St dearly. Etienne a few minutes later. Aos 62 minutes, Nice managed to break through the opponent’s defensive block. Jonathan Clauss followed the development of an offensive play, grabbed a rebound on the edge of the penalty area and shot low into the right corner. Goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur tried to save, but couldn’t reach the ball, resulting in the first goal of the match.
Intervenção of the video referee and the immediate response of the home team
The disadvantage on the scoreboard forced St. Etienne to advance their marking lines and look for offensive alternatives. Aos 63 minutes, the visiting team made two substitutions, with Dennis Appiah and Abdoulaye Kante leaving to replace João Ferreira and Florian Tardieu. Pouco then, in the 69th minute, Irvin Cardona gave way to Aimen Moueffek. The pressure had an effect in the 76th minute, when a move inside the Nice area generated complaints from the visiting players. Referee Ruddy Buquet stopped the match and activated the VAR monitor to review the play.
Analysis of the images confirmed the infraction by the defense in charge. The main developments of this crucial moment of the match included:
- The official penalty award in favor of St. Etienne in the 77th minute, changing the dynamics of the confrontation.
- The precise shot by Zuriko Davitashvili in the 79th minute, which dislocated the goalkeeper and tied the game on the left side of the goal.
- Nice’s immediate reaction in the 81st minute, when Kail Boudache took advantage of a rebound on the edge of the box and fired a shot into the left corner to regain the lead on the scoreboard.
Kail Boudache’s goal occurred at a moment of instability for the visiting team, which was still celebrating the draw. Nice’s quick offensive transition demonstrated the players’ ability to recover after conceding a penalty goal. Durante this period, the game had to be stopped for medical attention to defender Dante. The defender received assistance on the pitch in the 75th minute and ended up being replaced by Juma Bah in the 78th minute, changing the configuration of the home team’s defensive system for the final minutes of the match.
Sequência of goals in the final minutes and consolidation of the result
The final stretch of the match turned into a scenario of extensive dominance by Nice. The St. Etienne tried one last offensive move in the 84th minute, replacing Luan Gadegbeku with Joshua Duffus. The visitors’ defensive exposure facilitated the local team’s counterattacks. Aos 87 minutes, Elye Wahi received a deep pass inside the penalty area, controlled the ball with skill and shot into the right corner, extending the lead to 3-1. The goal destabilized the opponent’s marking system, which began to give up significant spaces in midfield.
Referee Ruddy Buquet indicated 9 minutes of extra time, extending the regulatory time due to several stoppages for the use of VAR and medical care. Aos 90+2 minutes, Nice turned the victory into a rout. Elye Wahi received a pass played behind the defense and, face to face with the goalkeeper, applied a subtle touch for coverage. The technical skill move sealed the score at 4-1. Logo after the goal, in the 90+5 minute, the striker was replaced by Isak Jansson, receiving recognition from the fans present at the stadium.
Nos final moments, St. Etienne still sought to reduce the loss. Augustine Boakye risked a long-range shot in the 90th minute and hit the crossbar. Aimen Moueffek also tried a shot in the 90+7 minute, but the ball went through the baseline without causing danger. A corner kick taken by Florian Tardieu in the 90+8 minute was cleared by the Nice defense. The final whistle sounded at 90+10 minutes, confirming the home team’s impressive victory in a game marked by comebacks, technological interventions and a lethal offensive performance in the final minutes.