OGC Nice suffered a 2-1 loss to Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday in their UEFA Europa League clash at the Stade Roi Baudouin.
Evann Guessand provided Le Gym’s lone goal, but Franjo Ivanovic’s late heroics sealed the fate of the visitors.
The match, played on a poorly maintained pitch, was a frustrating affair for a determined Nice side battling numerous injuries.
Ivanovic struck twice—first in the 33rd minute and then deep into stoppage time (90+2’)—to secure victory for the Belgian hosts, who are now unbeaten in nine games.
Coach Francesco Farioli made two adjustments to the lineup that triumphed over Le Havre last weekend. Issiaga Camara and Youssoufa Moukoko replaced Tanguy Ndombele and Gaëtan Laborde.
Despite these changes, Nice struggled to match the aggression of their opponents.
The visitors nearly capitalized on an early error when Charles Vanhoutte’s misjudged back-pass put goalkeeper Anthony Moris under pressure in the third minute.
However, the first half largely saw Nice defending against Union Saint-Gilloise’s relentless attack.
Marcin Bułka was called into action early, making a crucial save to deny Mohammed Fuseini in the 5th minute and following up with another to thwart Sofiane Boufal. Despite his efforts, Ivanovic capitalized on a rebound to break the deadlock.
Bułka continued his excellent performance, stopping Boufal again in the 39th minute. Moments later, Nice found a lifeline when Sofiane Diop intercepted a pass near the opponent’s penalty area and set up Guessand, who finished clinically.
Desperate for a win to salvage their Europa League campaign—having recorded three losses and two draws before this match—Nice showed renewed intensity in the second half.
Camara came closest to giving them the lead, unleashing a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar and bounced on the goal line.
Substitutions brought fresh legs as Laborde, Ndombele, and Jonathan Clauss joined the fray. However, the Belgian side continued to threaten, with Bułka and Louchet making critical saves to deny headers from Koki Machida and Christian Burgess.
Ivanovic squandered a one-on-one opportunity in the 70th minute, and Bułka produced another heroic stop against Kevin Rodriguez in the 90th.
But the final moments proved disastrous for Nice. Ivanovic found space and unleashed a stunning left-footed strike into the top corner, snatching victory in the dying seconds
This defeat leaves OGC Nice languishing in 35th place out of 36 in the Europa League standings.
Although not yet eliminated, Le Gym faces a daunting task to break into the top 24 and secure a play-off spot, with only two group-stage matches remaining in January 2025.
