In an unexpected turn of events, Nice suffered a 3-1 defeat against Le Havre in their Ligue 1 clash on Saturday. The loss was a significant setback for Nice, a team known for its strong defense, as they struggled to contain a determined Le Havre side.
Nice, sitting in second place with 32 points, missed an opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who are set to visit Lille on Sunday. Le Havre’s victory boosted them to ninth place with 19 points.
The scoring was opened early in the game by Emmanuel Sabbi, who capitalized on a rebound from Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka just five minutes into the match. Sabbi continued his impressive performance by adding a second goal with a skillful volley from an acute angle 10 minutes before halftime.
Nice’s troubles were compounded in the second half when Mohamed Bayo successfully converted a penalty six minutes after the restart. The penalty was awarded following a foul on Loic Nego by Nice’s Melvin Bard.
The intensity of the match escalated in the final minutes, leading to a clash that saw both Le Havre’s Samuel Grandsir and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo receive red cards. The altercation added further drama to an already heated contest.
Despite being down, Nice managed to find a late consolation goal during stoppage time. Tom Louchet tapped in a cross from close range, but it was too little, too late to change the outcome of the match.
This result serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of Ligue 1 and the challenges that teams face in maintaining consistency throughout the season. For Nice, the loss is a crucial blow to their campaign, while Le Havre will take confidence from a significant victory against one of the league’s top sides.
