OGC Nice 1-1 Olympique de Marseille 

THE MATCH:

Nice coach Christophe Galtier insisted that his side were 'not out for revenge' in the replayed Round 3 clash held at Troyes' Stade de l’Aube.

The behind-closed-doors contest kicked off in eerie circumstances, but one that both teams have become accustomed to in recent times.
Nice started the better of the two sides, dominating possession and asking questions of an OM back four that impressed in Sunday night's 'classique' against PSG. 

Galtier gave a first start to the scorer of Sunday’s last-gasp winner against Lyon, Evann Guessand, and it didn’t take the 20-year-old forward long to impose himself on the game.

Dominance rewarded

Galtier's side took advantage of some lacklustre play from Alvaro Gonzalez and after a powerful burst forward, Guessand turned provider for Amine Gouiri to notch his sixth league goal of the campaign from seven-yards out (6').

The goal unsettled Jorge Sampaoli’s men and Nice began to lay siege to OM 'keeper Pau Lopez's goal. 

Firstly, Dutch midfielder Pablo Rosario missed a gilt-edged chance for Nice from six-yards out (12'), then, the lively Guessand fluffed his chance when through on goal, firing wide of Lopez’s right-hand post (14').

As the first half wore on, Marseille intermittently found a way to stop the wave of Nice dominance but were unable to test Les Aiglons' shot-stopper Walter Benitez, who was merely a spectator at times. 

But Marseille continued to live dangerously and poor ball retention in central areas was causing themselves major problems against Nice's blistering counter-attack. 

Youcef Atal's through ball to the onrushing Gouiri should have resulted in a second for Nice, only for the heroics of Lopez to keep the ex-Lyon man at bay (35'). Then, Hassane Kamara missed another opportunity from close range a minute later.

Nice punished 

Inevitably, Nice’s profligacy was punished and Marseille's resilience paid off when a rare OM attack was superbly finished by Dmitiri Payet (42'), to the visible annoyance of Galtier.

Whatever Sampaoli said to his troops at half-time seemed to have some impact as Marseille began the second-half with renewed vigour, and without testing Benitez, set their stall out for a more balanced half of football.

Sampaoli's men tightened up the midfield area, were better in possession and ensured Nice had to work much harder to cut through their back line. Second-half chances were at a premium as the game escalated into a tactical battle with neither side taking the kind of risks needed to take the ascendancy.

Both teams showed signs of fatigue as the game drew towards its climax, with last Sunday's demanding fixtures clearly impacting energy levels. 

The contest ended level in a game that both teams will be glad to have finally completed, after the abandonment back in August. 

THE PLAYER: Amine Gouiri

Another excellent performance from Nice's top scorer this term who should have scored another, at the very least. A constant threat with his menacing runs and movement off the ball, Gouiri reminded his teammates that even without the services of Andy Delort and Kasper Dolberg, he can be trusted to deliver. At this rate, a fine future awaits for Gouiri.

THE STAT: 5

After a solid start to the season defensively where Christophe Galtier's side did not concede until the fifth round of fixtures, Les Aiglons have now shipped five goals in their last four games - a trend that will concern Galtier, whose ethos is built on defensive solidity. Wastefulness in front of goal, coupled with a lapse in concentration, ultimately cost Nice two points against Marseille and Galtier will know he needs to find a solution to plug the gaps, if Nice are to continue their push for the podium.