Nice all but assured themselves of hanging onto second place on the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table come the end of the Round 21 hostilities, but things didn't go 100% their way against a feisty Nantes side on Friday night.

'Three precious points'

"We won the match and that's what counts, but we can't be satisfied with the way we played," offered Gouiri, who stepped up with a crucial assist in the second half after Kasper Dolberg's opener (21', pen.) was cancelled out by Andrei Girotto just before the break (45'). "Still, we mustn't turn our noses up at a victory; tonight we took three precious points."

Indeed, the win keeps Les Aiglons as 'the best of the rest', provisionally eight points behind behind leaders PSG, and for Gouiri the decisive factor has been the mental strength and positive mood in the squad under the aegis of renowned man manager and motivator Galtier.

'Manage this pressure'

"It's a good feeling to have won the psychological battle. We have to go through this kind of game and manage this pressure," explained Gouiri before recounting his role in Khéphren Thuram's winning goal, which involved a quick break and a deft one-two. "He looks for me, we like to do that. I saw that there was space. We get on very well off the field and it shows out there on the pitch. There is a great atmosphere in this team."

However, while things are going well for Nice, Gouiri knows that a side can always do better.

'100% focused'

"We have to improve on several things and we know that, that's what we try to do every day with the coach and the staff in training," said the in-form striker, who now has five assists to go with his nine goals, before turning his eye to Round 22's clash away to FC Metz. "We're 100% focused on our next match."

>> MATCH REPORT: Dolberg and Thuram fire Nice past Nantes

>> PLAYER PROFILE: Amine Gouiri

>> One to watch: Amine Gouiri, Nice's free-scoring young forward