TOPS
His future on the Côte d’Azur remains very uncertain. But a few days before the end of the transfer window, Jean-Clair Todibo does not seem disturbed by his situation. The French international, absent last weekend in Lorient (1-1), did not miss his return to the Nice hinge against OL on Sunday (0-0). Solid, he easily muzzled Sarr alongside Dante. Always so clean in his reminders and efficient in his placement. It remains to be seen whether the Allianz Riviera attended the 23-year-old’s last performance this Sunday in the Gym jersey.
During a very closed match, Sofiane Diop was clearly the most prominent offensive player. The former Monegasque, exiled on the left wing, tried a lot. His agreement with Bard and his ability to transplant in the axis hurt the Lyon rearguard. Very prominent at the start of the second period, he could have turned into a decisive passer if Sanson had been more skilful. Involved defensively, he finished the game on his knees before being replaced at the end of the match.
FLOPS
Follower of 4-3-3, Laurent Blanc innovated by changing the system for this match. The Gones coach opted this time for a 4-2-3-1, aligning Maxence Caqueret in a role of playmaker. An option not really paying off. Invisible in support of Sarr, the 23-year-old player had absolutely no influence on the Lyon game. Non-existent throughout the encounter.
The spectacular Nantes-Monaco (3-3) had however opened hostilities in a beautiful way. But two days later, the third day of Ligue 1 ended with a poor quality match. Faced with fearful and generally harmless Lyonnais, Nice did not know how to materialize their domination. The Aiglons, too rough approaching Riou’s goals, wasted the few chances they got and did not put enough intensity to crack Gones clearly catchable. The Allianz Riviera was only too rarely able to ignite in front of a meeting oh so insipid.
