And that’s all. Nice thought they had done the hardest part this Friday against Lille, at home, entering stoppage time in front of the score, thanks to the goal of Gaëtan Laborde in the first period, on behalf of the first match of the first day of the League 1. It was without counting on Lille’s late equalizer to snatch the draw (1-1).
The new Ligue 1 season started at a very high pace, driven mainly by the people of Nice, from the first minutes. After a few offensives mainly in counter-attack thanks to his throwing speed, Nice hit hard with one of his two home scorers, Gaëtan Laborde. Served by Moffi in the right timing after a high recovery from Khéphren Thuram, Laborde stung his ball just in front of Lucas Chevalier for the opener (1-0). Lille made the same mistakes as last year, like Cabella who had already lost a decisive ball against Nice last year and who did it again in the 19th minute of this meeting.
In the aftermath, Lille almost conceded a second goal, this time from Thuram, again after losing a high ball. But the French international was logically reported in an illicit position. The Northerners were not really very dangerous and scared themselves again just before the break when Sanson almost recovered the ball in front of Lucas Chevalier. The former Strasbourg and Marseillais collapsed, the intervention of the international hopeful goalkeeper seemed limited but Mr. Bastien was confirmed by the VAR in his decision not to report anything.
Knowing how to round your back when you are trailing is possible, since Paulo Fonseca’s men were not very incisive in the second half when you had to score to react. Not much to report except a shot from the left from Jonathan David well repelled by Bulka (70th) or a return from Melvin Bard in front of Alan Virginius (64th).
But this almost harmless facet of Losc had at least one positive effect, putting a Nice team to sleep who thought they had done the hardest part. On a final free kick in stoppage time (90 4), Bafodé Diakité came to place his header to offer an unexpected point to his team after a ball dropped by Angel Gomes (1-1).
A goal and a point which has a taste of victory for the visitors, a bitter taste for the locals who leave with regrets from this first meeting of the season. The first day of Ligue 1 will continue on Saturday with OM-Reims at 5 p.m. and PSG-Lorient at 9 p.m.
