MONACO HAVE GRABBED the bulk of the headlines in Ligue 1 this season but as they look over their shoulder, there’s an unlikely pretender chasing them all the way for the title.
Nice last won some silverware 20 years ago when they triumphed in the Coupe de France but even that success was completely overshadowed by their relegation from the top-flight just a few days later. For a team based in the French Riviera, they’ve fallen short of attracting the same kind of buzz and glamour as their locale.
But, this term has been wildly different. For a start, there was an 11-game unbeaten run that only came to an end in November. And the acquisition of Mario Balotelli has worked a treat.
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The controversial striker has netted 13 times in the league while fellow attacker Alassane Plea has added a further 11.
They were thumped 3-0 by leaders Monaco in February but haven’t been beaten in the nine games that have followed and, on Friday, a brace from Balotelli ensured a 2-1 win in Lille.
4 - Mario Balotelli has attempted 4 shots (4 on target, 2 goals) against Lille in the 1st half, as many as the entire Lille team. Super.
The good form means that they’re third in the table and four points behind the side from the principality having played a game more. In total, they’ve lost just two league games all season but, frustratingly, Nice have racked up 10 draws. And that may come down to a lack of explosiveness.
While Monaco have managed a dizzying 88 goals in the league so far and Paris Saint-German have hit 64, Nice have struck 52 times in total. But, still, they’re in the mix.
Balotelli has been important, certainly, but he’s played in fits and starts. In his first two games, he netted four times – the first player in 25 years to accomplish the feat in France. But, he’s also scored doubles on four occasions. Where Monaco and PSG have counted on the consistency of Radamel Falcao, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani respectively, Balotelli has dipped in and out of Nice’s campaign.
He was dropped for a game against St. Etienne in February while his manager, Lucien Favre, has questioned his desire to help out defensively when required.
But, his goals have been crucial to his team’s under-appreciated rise to second place in the standings. It’s unlikely that Monaco will give much up during the run-in but Nice’s (and Balotelli’s) reinvention remains a fascinating story.
French Revolution: Mario Balotelli continues to be the unlikely lad for the unlikely team in Ligue 1
MONACO HAVE GRABBED the bulk of the headlines in Ligue 1 this season but as they look over their shoulder, there’s an unlikely pretender chasing them all the way for the title.
Nice last won some silverware 20 years ago when they triumphed in the Coupe de France but even that success was completely overshadowed by their relegation from the top-flight just a few days later. For a team based in the French Riviera, they’ve fallen short of attracting the same kind of buzz and glamour as their locale.
But, this term has been wildly different. For a start, there was an 11-game unbeaten run that only came to an end in November. And the acquisition of Mario Balotelli has worked a treat.
The controversial striker has netted 13 times in the league while fellow attacker Alassane Plea has added a further 11.
They were thumped 3-0 by leaders Monaco in February but haven’t been beaten in the nine games that have followed and, on Friday, a brace from Balotelli ensured a 2-1 win in Lille.
The good form means that they’re third in the table and four points behind the side from the principality having played a game more. In total, they’ve lost just two league games all season but, frustratingly, Nice have racked up 10 draws. And that may come down to a lack of explosiveness.
While Monaco have managed a dizzying 88 goals in the league so far and Paris Saint-German have hit 64, Nice have struck 52 times in total. But, still, they’re in the mix.
Balotelli has been important, certainly, but he’s played in fits and starts. In his first two games, he netted four times – the first player in 25 years to accomplish the feat in France. But, he’s also scored doubles on four occasions. Where Monaco and PSG have counted on the consistency of Radamel Falcao, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani respectively, Balotelli has dipped in and out of Nice’s campaign.
He was dropped for a game against St. Etienne in February while his manager, Lucien Favre, has questioned his desire to help out defensively when required.
But, his goals have been crucial to his team’s under-appreciated rise to second place in the standings. It’s unlikely that Monaco will give much up during the run-in but Nice’s (and Balotelli’s) reinvention remains a fascinating story.
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Always Him French Ligue 1 Mario Balotelli Nice