Few could have expected this Ligue 1 game to be a top of the table clash, given both teams finished outside top eight last season.
It was Brest whose presence as joint-table toppers arrived as a surprise more so than Nice’s unbeaten form, as the visitors came painfully close to breaking the deadlock inside the opening 10 minutes from Jeremy Le Douaron’s brilliant solo effort from the edge of the box that rattled the woodwork.
While Brest did everything in their power to upset the hosts, they looked rather complacent in defence, gifting the Eagles chances on a platter, as the Gaetan Laborde and Jeremie Boga attacking duo threatened the Pirates time and again, coming closest from the latter’s header from a rebound that crashed against the crossbar.
Brest appeared satisfied to sit back and soak the pressure though, although the necessity for strengthening their backline would certainly have been the topic to address for Eric Roy going into the break.
His words of inspiration perhaps made a difference, as Brest appeared more resilient than their hosts both in attack and defense, signaling the need for Francesco Farioli to tweak Nice’s approach.
However, as hard as the hosts tried, their efforts rarely made a difference, despite the introduction of four fresh faces in the final 20 minutes.
The story wasn’t any different for Brest either, with their 27 shots against Lyon last time out a distant memory, as they eventually failed to find the net for the first time in three matches.
Nice ultimately failed to take advantage of their home turf and close the one-point gap to Brest, although they will gladly extend their unbeaten Ligue 1 streak to seven games on the trot.
They also extended their unbeaten home streak to eight games in the process, whereas Brest will not be too disappointed either, given their elite status as joint-leaders alongside AS Monaco early in the season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Bradley Locko (Brest)
