PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 1-0 Reims: Morgan Sanson takes <i>Le Gym </i>onto the podium | OneFootball

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 32, 02/05/25

OGC Nice edged out a spirited Stade de Reims side (1-0) thanks to a first-half goal from Morgan Sanson. It sees Franck Haise’s side move provisionally into third place in what is an important win in their attempts to secure UEFA Champions League football.

The Match

Reims have been labelled as a team that can’t or won’t play an attractive form of football but at times, they were more than a match for Nice, who created few chances but gave up plenty to what is considered an inferior opposition.

Chances were at a premium but Le Gym were provided a glorious one on the 15-minute mark when a dangerous ball into the box landed simultaneously in Yehvann Diouf’s and Joseph Okumu’s goal. The goalkeeper was obliged to come but didn’t take the ball, instead taking his own defender, who put it on a plate for Sanson to turn it into the empty net.

Les Aiglons had more possession but it was Les Stadistes who had the better chances in the second half. Amadou Koné found himself in a glorious position after a high turnover but with a clear sight at Marcin Bulka’s goal, he could only shoot straight at the Poland international.

Then came the biggest chance. Moïse Bombito’s poor positioning saw Keito Nakamura played in on goal but his curled effort was tepid, poorly struck and poorly placed, making things easy for a grateful Bulka. As the game approached stoppage time, fireworks went off outside the stadium. It felt premature and Reims did keep pushing but they could not find the equaliser with Nice holding on for an unconvincing but important victory.

OGC Nice player ratings

Marcin Bulka – 6

Melvin Bard – 6

Moïse Bombito – 3

He looked nervous in the first half and had a couple of ‘moments’, including a slip that almost provided Reims with a glorious chance. He was then poorly placed late on, to the frustration of Dante, allowing Nakamura a glorious chance. Luckily for Nice, it was not taken.

Antoine Mendy – 5

Ali Abdi – 6

Hicham Boudaoui – 6

Pablo Rosario – 5

Jonathan Clauss – 5

Morgan Sanson – 7

There is a feeling of what if about Sanson. What if he had been fit all season? He could have made a huge difference to this Nice side over the course of the campaign had he not been injured for the vast majority of it. He popped up in the right position to score his third goal in just two games and was efficient and purposeful in his distribution. He has been absent for so long but is now making a big difference in the final sprint. His performances against Paris Saint-Germain and Reims are worth six crucial points.

Gaëtan Laborde – 3

Badredine Bouanani – 6

Frustrating with his end-product, there was lots of intent and lots of technical quality in his play. His decision-making was correct, which hasn’t always been said for Bouanani, but execution was, at times, lacking.

Reims player ratings

Cédric Kipré – 6

Keito Nakamura – 3

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice