MATCH REPORT | Union SG 2-1 Nice: Aiglons lose fourth Europa League game in injury time

UEFA Europa League, Matchday 6, 12/12/24

Nice had no choice but to seal their first Europa League group stage win tonight at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium to retain any hope of remaining in the competition. Les Aiglons could have had an early lead had Charles Vanhoutte’s back pass found its way home following Anthony Moris’ blooper. Still, Nice were second-best with the hosts enjoying more possession in Nice’s final third.

Union SG were rewarded for their efforts, making the most of Nice’s defensive woes. Marcin Bulka was on hand to thwart Mohammed Fuseini from point-blank range, but there was nothing he could do to prevent Franjo Ivanovic from scoring the rebound. The Pole would keep his side in the game and, indeed the competition, in winning his one-on-one against the unmarked Sofiane Boufal.

On the stroke of half-time, Nice leveled proceedings against the run of play. Sofiane Diop dispossessed Christian Burgess before crossing towards Evann Guessand, whose first-touch deflection ended in the back of the net. Considering both teams sat in the lower half of the Europa League standings, Union SG and Nice both took great risks to go for the win.

It looked like a game of fine margins with Moris deflecting Issiaga Camara’s strike on his crossbar and so very nearly over the goal line. After the hour mark, Nice right-back Tom Louchet was on hand to clear Burgess’ effort of his goal line. In the dying minutes, Bulka came clutch again to deny both Kevin Rodríguez and Ousseynou Niang.

But his feats proved fruitless in the dying minute of injury time. Ivanovic was sent clean through on goal, with no Nice defenders to prevent him from firing past Bulka. It proved the final nail in the coffin for Nice, whose European campaign will most likely end at the end of the league phase. With two draws and four losses, Nice are 35th in the standings.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval