OGC Nice pulled into a provisional second place in Ligue 1 Uber Eats with their 4-0 win over Girondins de Bordeaux on Saturday, but coach Christophe Galtier is loath to let his side rest on their laurels.
Galtier steered LOSC to their first league title in a decade last season, and he is keen to craft the same kind of well-drilled unit in the Côte d'Azur.
Justin Kluivert had a hand in two goals before going off with a hamstring injury, which allowed another new face - Calvin Stengs - to enter the fray. Amine Gouiri, with a brace, and Khéphren Thuram concluded the scoring, but Galtier still saw room for improvement.
"I'm not going to be picky," he said. "I'm very satisfied with the result. We had to dig deep quickly, and we seized the good chances we had. But there are still adjustments to be made on which we must be uncompromising. Justin Kluivert left as a precaution with hamstring pain. As for Calvin Stengs, he was scheduled to only play 30-35 minutes."
Former Olympique de Marseille, Juventus and Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina got 90 minutes in his legs. A two-time Seria A champion, he recognises Galtier's irrepressible will to win.
"It's a promising start to the season," he said. "We have a guideline. And we'll respect it. We have worked a lot to make this automatic. But there are still adjustments to be made. The results mask our shortcomings and mistakes.
The coach always holds us accountable, even at 3- or 4-0. He insists that we're uncompromising with ourselves. It's in the details, which allows us to have a certain rigour. Rigueur à la Galtier. We know what he's asking for."
