More than two months after the incidents at the Allianz Riviera, OGC Nice and Olympique de Marseille meet for a game to be played again on the side of… Troyes this Wednesday.
In August, Nice and Marseillais had parted in a deleterious atmosphere, without having been able to finish their match, stopped by a shower of projectiles and a general fight. They find themselves suddenly this Wednesday, on neutral ground in Troyes (9:00 pm), to replay this shock with a view of the Ligue 1 podium. Wednesday’s match, behind closed doors at the Aube stadium, will not allow to erase completely from memories the serious incidents of two months ago at the Allianz-Riviera during the match of the 3rd day, stopped by the score of 1-0 for Nice. Because they have left a lasting mark on the season of the two clubs and, more generally, of the whole of Ligue 1, which cannot come out of a cycle of violence of all kinds in its stands. OM has not finished with the extra-sporting episodes, since the disciplinary committee of the LFP will judge next week the various excesses observed during the classic against Paris SG on Sunday (0-0). But for the Marseillais as for the Niçois, the Troyes match is at least an opportunity to move on and get a clear idea of its position and its ambitions in the standings.
The meeting is a real shock at the top of the table between the Aiglons, 3rd and who can, if successful, position themselves as dolphins of PSG, and OM, 4th at one point and who also aspires to settle on the podium. . On August 22, a quarter of an hour from the end, the Niçois were leading and thought they had three points. But the dozens of bottles that fell from the Tribune Populaire Sud and the ensuing invasion of the lawn changed the fate of this match. Dante and his teammates finally lost a point, withdrawn by the disciplinary committee. A success in Troyes, in a match for which the arbitration was entrusted to Clément Turpin, would therefore largely erase this slate left on the evening of the incidents. “It is not revenge. Nothing had happened between the players. But yes, on August 22, we had more chances to win than Marseille“, Thus recalled Tuesday the Nice trainer Christophe Galtier. “We have been sanctioned, we are looking forward. We go there to win, not to take revenge“, For his part assured his captain Dante.
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The Aiglons also arrive in Troyes on the momentum of their incredible comeback against Lyon on Sunday (3-2 after being down 2-0). But the extraordinary last 10 minutes cannot make us forget the first 80, very painful, that Jorge Sampaoli and his staff also saw. “It’s a team that is a bit like this match“, Said the Argentine technician at a press conference on Tuesday. “She can score at any time with very strong players in front, or others who can come in. They have very quick transitions, but even though their defense is very strong she was vulnerable against Lyon.» «The exam will be complicated and will depend a lot on us. If we have control of the game, we will suffer less», Added Sampaoli, who will be deprived of Leonardo Balerdi, suspended, and of Pol Lirola and Amine Harit who, like the Niçois Andy Delort, had not yet signed on August 22 and are therefore not qualified.
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«It’s an important game to win. We can move up the rankings a bit and it would be a reward for all our efforts“, Again judged the Marseille coach, whose team remains on two satisfactory draws but without a goal, against Lazio Rome and PSG. Its players, they will rediscover the closed door, as in the time of the Covid. “It will be very complicated to go from 65,000 spectators to an empty stadium. But we don’t have time to think about that, we’re going to live with it. We have an objective which is to take three points“, Assured Marseille midfielder Pape Gueye.
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