PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 2-0 Lens: Jonathan Clauss nets against former club as 10-men Lens slump to defeat | OneFootball

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 21, 08/02/25

OGC Nice registered a comfortable win (2-0) over 10-men RC Lens as Le Gym bounced back from their shock Coupe de France exit at the hands of Stade Briochin in midweek.

The Match

Nice began the game very much on the front foot – and remained so throughout. Evann Gussand smashed home an opener as early as the fifth minute, however, it was disallowed upon consultation with the VAR for a foul from Mohamed-Ali Cho. It was a harsh decision but Le Gym would not be denied for long. Melvin Bard caught Neil El-Aynaoui napping, going around him to keep the ball in play and play it back to Hicham Boudaoui, who was trodden on by Adrien Thomasson. Gaëtan Laborde did the rest from the spot.

M’Bala Nzola then went close, against the run of play, but he lacked composure and blasted over inside a crowded box. It was Nice who then reasserted their authority. Hervé Koffi pulled off a spectacular save with the tip of his foot to keep out Jonathan Clauss’ close-range volley.

Les Aiglons continued to manufacture dangerous situations, without fully exploiting them and would have been disappointed to return to the dressing room with just a one-goal lead. It was a similar story at the start of the second half with Boudaoui missing two huge chances, including a one-on-one, kept out by Koffi’s fingertips.

In the meantime, Facundo Medina had been given a red card for two bookings and Lens were up against it but they gave the home side a timely reminder that the game was not dead and buried with Andy Diouf running the length of the pitch, taking on five Nice players in the process, before curling inches wide.

But the game was put to bed just minutes later and it came from former Lens man Clauss. It was a simple short corner routine that allowed the France international to drive into the box and finish into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Nzola almost got one back in a foray forward in the 73rd minute but Marcin Bulka was equal to the effort. There was little to please Will Still, looking on from the press box with the Englishman suspended from the touchline after a confrontation with Montpellier HSC manager Jean-Louis Gasset last weekend.

Koffi pulled off another big stop, this time from Guessand, to limit the damage. The result sees Nice provisionally jump up to third in Ligue 1 and above local rivals AS Monaco. Lens, meanwhile, remain sixth, for now.

OGC Nice player ratings

Marcin Bulka – 6

Dante – 5

Moïse Bombito – 7

Youssouf Ndayishimiye – 6

Melvin Bard – 6

Hicham Boudaoui – 4

Baptiste Santamaria – 6

Jonathan Clauss – 7

Scorer of one goal, he definitely should have had two but, without ever truly being tested defensively, he was a real threat holding the width down Nice’s right-hand side and took his goal emphatically with a real strikers’ finish.

Evann Guessand – 7

He took his chance ruthlessly at the start of the match, even if the strike was chalked off and whilst he lacked the efficiency that he has shown in front of goal in recent times for the rest of the match, he was once again a joy to watch with his capacity to beat players one-on-one and create space for his teammates to thrive.

Gaëtan Laborde – 6

Mohamed-Ali Cho – 6

Lens selected player ratings

Jonathan Gradit -3

Hervé Koffi – 6

A mixed evening for the stand-in goalkeeper, who nonetheless made three terrific saves to limit the damage. Sometimes ill at ease, particularly with the ball at his feet, he kept his side in the game for a long period.

Neil El-Aynaoui – 4

Andy Diouf – 6

Almost netted what would have been one of the goals of the season as he glided past half the Nice team before curling wide. Without dominating the midfield, he was technically strong and important in transition, the only times that Lens threatened. Another strong performance amid a notable uptick in form.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice