Man of the Match: Melvin Bard (7.5)
The left-back made his first start in three games after a minor injury in the Coupe de France. He was solid defensively, winning tackles and limiting space on his flank. He is a contender for Nice’s best player this season.
Reims (3-5-2):
Diouf (5.5)
The goalkeeper had a quiet afternoon despite Nice’s dominance in the first half. He made a good save from a Boga free-kick, but otherwise had little to do. He kept another clean sheet this season.
Abdelhamid (7)
The Moroccan captain, who is leaving Reims at the end of the season, was key to his team’s result. He was solid defensively, making a perfect tackle on Cho in the box.
Okumu (6)
The Kenyan defender continued his good form from last week. He was comfortable in a three-man defence, making important defensive interventions despite the pace of Nice’s wingers. He had to come off after twisting his ankle on a clearance.
Agbadou (5.5)
The Ivorian had a good game. He took a few minutes to get into the game, but he was solid overall. He was calm on the ball and won his duels.
Akieme (4.5)
The Spanish full-back, who arrived in January, struggled against the pace of Nice’s attackers. He had trouble containing Cho early on and almost got sent off for a second yellow card after a foul on Todibo.
Richardson (6)
The midfielder had a good game. He was constantly active and tried to get on the ball as much as possible. He sometimes dropped deep to receive the ball, but he also had an impact in the final third.
Munetsi (5.5)
The Zimbabwean midfielder had a decent game. He will rue the early chance he missed, when he beat Bulka but couldn’t find the target from a difficult angle. He remains one of his team’s key players this season and didn’t make any major mistakes in this match.
Atangana (6)
The young revelation of the season is taking advantage of Teddy Teuma’s long-term absence to establish himself in Will Still’s starting lineup. He had a good overall performance and forced Bulka into a save with Reims’ first shot on target.
Khadra (6.5)
The German attacking midfielder, who was playing as a wing-back today, had a very good game. He worked hard and was involved in most of his team’s attacking moves. He created Reims’ biggest chance after the break with a through ball for Diakité.
O. Diakité (5.5)
The Ivorian striker didn’t have an easy afternoon, but his work ethic and fighting spirit were commendable. He pressed well and sometimes forced the Nice defence to go long. He had a late chance, but his shot from a tight angle was saved by Bulka.
Ito (6)
The Japanese attacker was very lively up front for Reims. He created their biggest chance of the first half with a well-weighted through ball for Munetsi, who couldn’t finish. He was a thorn in the side of the Nice defence throughout the game.
Nice (4-3-3):
Bulka (6)
The Polish goalkeeper is unhappy with his team’s current form and made it very clear in the mixed zone last week after the loss against Nantes. His outburst has helped to put things back in place, and the last line of the best defense in the league has kept another clean sheet at Auguste Delaune on Sunday.
Bard (7.5)
See above.
Dante (5)
Although Nice were solid defensively, the Brazilian captain was not completely reassuring. He put himself in difficulty in his own box by taking too long to clear his lines. It was not a catastrophic performance, but he was not imperial in Reims either.
Todibo (6)
After a discreet first half, the Azurean central defender clearly stepped up his game in this match, recovering more balls and winning almost all of his duels after the break. It had been a while since the former Toulouse and Barcelona player had made such a successful performance.
Lotomba (6)
Unlike his recent performances, which were clearly not up to the expected level, the Swiss player has clearly raised the bar today. Defensively, he did the job and even allowed himself some offensive moves that brought dynamism to his team, notably on the missed opportunity by Boga. There is improvement, it remains to be seen if he will be able to gain in consistency in this end of season.
Rosario (5.5)
Back from suspension, the Dutch midfielder did his team some good, precious in the midfield for his team. If he was not always successful in his choices, it cannot be denied that the former PSV Eindhoven player has stabilized the midfield and given more tactical coherence to the Gym, notably in the balance of the team.
Thuram (5.5)
Also back after missing the last match, the Nice midfielder has woken up. He was more influential than in his last few outings. He caused many fouls and contributed to the build-up play in the last thirty meters of the opposing team, but as often this season, he is too soft in the last gesture.
Boudaoui (5)
The Algerian midfielder has been in doubt for several weeks, and his performance today is not likely to completely reassure the Nice fans. Technically applied, he started well before gradually fading away and disappearing from the radar in the second half.
Boga (4)
The Ivorian striker lacked success at Delaune, but it was not for lack of trying. He first warmed Diouf up on a free-kick before inexplicably missing a clear goal in the six-yard box. A turning point, since it was by far the clearest chance of the Aiglons in Reims.
Cho (5)
Taken off quite quickly against Nantes despite a good performance, the former Real Sociedad player had the confidence of his coach again at kick-off. Despite favorable situations, he was not decisive in front of goal. He had a chance at twenty meters but did not put enough power to get on target.
Moffi (4)
Complicated match for the Nigerian striker, who had scored three goals in the last two games. His first missed chance in a one-on-one with Diouf set the tone for his performance. He did not weigh in the duels and was only very rarely able to keep the ball with his back to the opposing goal.
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