After a match that was evenly played, the Aiglons were forced to settle for a draw against Partizan Belgrade, which was their second such result in the Europa League Conference (1-1).
TOPS
Diabaté, the permanent danger
What an impressive display by the Franco-Malian actor! There was no doubt in my mind that he was the most dangerous man in the game. Joe Bryan was completely overmatched defensively by Fousseni Diabaté, who kept piling on the pressure. A further advance was made on the left and center side by the man who had previously played for Amiens right before the interval. One of the attackers from Belgrade takes control of it and tries his luck, but he is stopped by the defenders. A second strike comes in, and although it hits its mark, Atal, who is standing on his line, makes a remarkable stop. After coming out of the changing room, Diabaté displayed an increasing level of danger, which continued until the hour mark, when he beautifully equalized the score. Nakhon served the ball to Diabaté on the right after a strong collective sequence, and Diabaté rolled his shot up precisely from the left, leaving Schmeichel with no chance of saving it. The meeting is started over from the very beginning by Diabaté. It’s even possible that the attacker could have helped his team win the game. The latter is then launched more profoundly, and it proceeds to the target. He makes a minor error in his ball handling but quickly recovers and makes a beautiful shift for his colleague Gomes, who hits the ball well above the net. What a foolish move on the part of the assailant, considering that Diabaté had succeeded in all he attempted. He is without a doubt the most valuable player on the field.
The Lemina metronome
The Nice midfielder stood out as the team’s most physically capable player after an intense contest. Interceptions raise, interventions… Tonight was a wonderful evening for Lemina in every way. He fared well for this Nice formation, which was lacking in several areas for this particular encounter. This Lemina festival comes to our attention at the 34-minute mark. Even though numerous players are pressing him, he pulls off a great escape, which ultimately results in a counter that doesn’t accomplish anything. He has produced an extremely streamlined game with very minimal unnecessary use of technical resources. Rosario will now take his place (80th).
FLOPS
Laborde too discreet
It is quite unusual for the Frenchman to miss a game, but he did so on Thursday evening’s contest, which resulted in a missed opportunity in the 57th minute, right before Partizan equalized the score (60th). Pepe makes an excellent job on the right side, getting rid of three men and shifting Laborde in the ideal position. The French have decided to take control of the situation and roll up their sleeves. Even though he was so skilled in front of the goal, the former Rennes man squandered several opportunities tonight. Even about this particular event in the 26th minute. Pepe will fire it off in the area to the left of the screen. The French attempt a cross-shot, but the opposition team’s goalie, Popovic, is already positioned to comfortably block it. To forget about the match for him…
Nice’s lack of realism
Nice, just like their attacker, struggled to be effective in front of the goal. The Aiglons had multiple chances to drive home the message, but their lack of reality prevented them from doing so. It is important to mention the two opportunities that Laborde passed up (in the 26th and the 70th), but they are not the only ones. Bryan ends up focusing on Dante during a corner that was played by two players quite rapidly. He prevailed in the battle by heading the ball in at the far post, but he fell to Popovic (28th). At the hour mark, Sofiane Diop, who had just returned to the field, headed an aerial ball and lobbed the opposition goalie until he touched the post. The goal was scored. It’s Popovic who is hit by the ball. The latter is taken aback but ecstatic to have been successful in capturing the leather (66th). The Aiglons will not be able to score the second goal, and they will continue to be terrified until the game’s conclusion. Thankfully, the Serbs had similar problems in front of the goal as well.