Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 6, 11/10/26

Having failed to win a Ligue 1 game at home in almost a year, OGC Nice have now won two in a row thanks to their comeback against RC Strasbourg Alsace (2-1) secured by Jonathan Clauss’ late strike.

The Allianz Riviera was in a boredom-enduced lull until Dario Essugo’s opener just moments before half-time. There was little rhythm and even less quality. Nice had the ball in the back of the net twice, but Mohammed Amoura was visibly offisde on both occasions. Le Gym, looking to build on a win against Lille OSC last time out, fashioned little else, but the visitors were equally lacking in inspiration.

But contrary to expectation, there would be a goal before half time and it would come courtesy of Essugo, on his first start for Strasbourg since joining on loan from Chelsea. The Portuguese midfielder found space on the edge of the box and drilled an effort off the inside of Yehvann Diouf’s right post. Nice were awoken and fashioned their first real chance, Clauss getting on the end of a Hicham Boudaoui backheel and forcing Filip Jorgensen into action for the first time.

The Chelsea loanee was beaten on the stroke of half time, and like Diouf at the other end, there was nothing that he could do about it. A mindless ball out from the Strasbourg defence was gratefully collected by Gauthier Hein, who lined up his cross. He didn’t find a teammate but didn’t have to as Pape Bemba Diop headed onto the inside of his post and past Jorgensen.

Building on their momentum, it was all Nice upon the return from the dressing rooms. Jorgensen pulled off a stunning double save to twice deny Amoura and when he was beaten by the third effort, Karim Coulibaly was there on the line to deny Jonathan Clauss’ header. Elye Wahi, yet to show last season’s form, should have then done better with a free header at the near post but couldn’t register a shot on target.

Strasbourg’s lack of creativity continued to be an issue and it wasn’t remedied by the arrivals of Gio Reyna and Jacobo Ortega, nor by switching the usually bright Gessime Yassine onto the right wing. And once Nice took the lead once again through Jonathan Clauss’ thundered effort off the underside of the bar, the space to create wasn’t afforded by Pantaloni’s men.

The least convincing performance of the season from the academy product. He struggled to handle Samuel Amo Ameyaw in the opening stages and was less calm on the ball, losing the ball cheaply on several occasions.