Nîmes Olympique: on the ground of Villefranche Beaujolais, a draw ultimately not illogical

Offensivement, Oussama Abdeljelil et les Crocos n’ont pas assez pesé et, surtout, ont manqué de réalisme. Archives Midi Libre – Mikaël Anisset

Faute de réalisme, les Crocos ont laissé passer leur chance, notamment en première période, et évité le pire en seconde, vendredi soir à Villefranche (0-0), lors de la 7e journée de National.

Nîmes has still not scored away from home. Three matches, zero goals. This time, the Crocodiles did not lose. On Friday, September 27, they let their chance slip away in the first half and they had a lucky escape in the second, given how they were shaken during the Caladois strong period. If, defensively, they held up well (third clean sheet, the second in a row), they will have to do more offensively to make life easier for themselves.

At half-time, Nîmes ahead on points

At half-time, in this game that had been going pretty smoothly, Nîmes were leading on points, and two actions to zero: a tight shot from Beneddine who had advanced unopposed, saved with the opposite hand by Péan (8th); on a service from Doukansy, a control of the right and a shot in pivot, from the left, from Abdeljelil, too crossed (19th).

The 7th day and the National ranking

Not enough speed and madness

The Crocos' game lacked rhythm and madness to really endanger a weak Villefranche Beaujolais team, which lost an incalculable number of balls and was unable to solicit Simon, who was having a quiet evening, just worried by this cross in front of Negouai's goal (44th).

Four attackers lined up

Adil Hermach had drawn up an attacking eleven with four forwards incorporated into his 4-4-2. More technical than the Caladois of the former Crocos Valerio and Doucouré, very disciplined, the Nîmes monopolized the ball. But as too often, if the approach work, with the paw of Mexique and Marcel, was interesting, the rest was much more approximate, like this cross from Labonne too close to the goal line and which did not find a taker (34th).

The technical sheet

Villefranche – N&here : 0-0
Stade Armand-Chouffet.
Referee: Valentin Giorgetti. Spectators: approximately 2,500.
Warnings à Nîmes : Cvitkovic (assistant manager, 88th), Bouaoune (90th + 1).
VILLEFRANCHE : Péan – Negouai, Baseya, Camelo – Monzango, Bastian, Valerio, Couturier (cap.), Joly (Charpentier, 86th) – Doucouré (Fortuné, 79th), Diakit&eacute (I. Ba, 80th).
NÎMES :Simon – Labonne, Mendy (cap.), Paviot, Beneddine – Marcel (Akkal, 73rd), Mexique, Doukansy, Camara (Bouaoune, 80th) – Abdeldjelil (El Hamri, 69th), Ali Abdallah.

We had to do more, we had to put in more speed, more movement, more accuracy, more of everything, take more risks, that was obvious. It was necessary because another obvious fact was that there was plenty of room to win this match. The two strikes from Beneddine and Marcel (the first blocked, the second deflected by Péan, 52nd and 53rd) confirmed it at the restart.

On the verge of breaking down

Except that it didn't last. Villefranche regained its colour and the ball. Nîmes was now suffering and had the greatest difficulty getting out of its half of the field. The Caladois put in more intensity and the Crocos were on the verge of breaking down. Negouai tested Simon at the near post (57th), Mendy saved in front of Doucouré (60th), Labonne cleared in a hurry (62nd), Baseya's header grazed the post (64th) and Diakité's powerful shot was returned by Simon (53rd).

Six corners conceded in the second half

They were no longer there, the Crocos (six corners conceded in the second half, none obtained) even if they could have, on their counterattack alone, turned everything around. But Péan did not let the ball pass that Ali Abdallah had tried to slip between his legs (84th). A lack of realism that prevented them from snatching their first away win.

0-0 in the end, not illogical. But frustrating.

The Crocos' scores: Simon (5), Labonne (6), Mendy (5), Paviot (6), Beneddine (5), Marcel (5), Mexique (6), Doukansy (5), Camara (3), Ali Abdallah (4), Abdeljelil (4). I subscribe to read the rest