PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 1-4 Rangers: Le Gym's Europa League hopes hang by a thread

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UEFA Europa League, Matchday 5, 28/11/24

It was a nightmare evening for OGC Nice, who in defeat to Glasgow Rangers (1-4), leave their UEFA Europa League hopes hanging by a thread. 

The Match 

Le Gym started the game the brighter with Tom Louchet forcing Jack Butland into a big save early on. They then thought that they had been awarded a penalty, only for VAR to overturn the initial awarding of the foul inside the Rangers box. That was as good as it got for this Nice side, decimated by injuries. 

Without ever having to force the matter, Rangers took the lead through Vaclav Cerny, whose effort deflected off two Nice players, wrong-footing and beating Marcin Bulka. The Scottish side doubled their advantage just three minutes later, this time it was Mohamed Diomandé, profiting from a Pablo Rosario error, who did the damage. 

It knocked the wind out of this depleted Nice side and the errors kept coming. Mohamed Abdelmonem’s back-pass was intercepted by Hamza Igamane, who rounded Bulka to put away Rangers’ third just before the break. Boos rang around the Allianz Riviera as their hopes of European qualification slipped away.

It was Igamane who sealed the game, if it wasn’t already decided, intercepting a Rosario pass, beating the Dutchman and then curling into the far corner and beyond Bulka. The second half, with nothing to play for, resembled more a training match than a Europa League encounter, although Badredine Bouanani did net a late consolation to give the home fans something to cheer about. 

It is a result that leaves Nice’s hanging by a thread. “There is no longer any margin for error. So long as the chance [to qualify] is there, we will give everything,” reacted Franck Haise post-match. With three games remaining, they will need three wins as they currently sit second-from-bottom in the Europa League standings. Rangers, meanwhile, are eighth. 

Nice player ratings 

Marcin Bulka – 4 

Melvin Bard – 5

Replaced by Tanguy Ndombélé (4) at half-time.

Mohamed Abdelmonem – 2

Pablo Rosario – 2

It was certainly a night to forget for the Dutchman. It was an error-ridden performance and one which cost Nice the match. Having made the initial error, he struggled to re-find his feet.

Youssouf Ndayishimye – N/A

Injured early on, he was replaced by Yaël Nandjou (4). 

Tom Louchet – 5

Issiaga Camara – 6

Arguably the only shining light in this team. The academy product, in just his second professional start, was valuable in the midfield, helping to break the press, win the ball back and provide a basis for Nice to retain possession, not that his teammates showed the creativity to build on that.

Hicham Boudaoui – 4

Gaëtan Laborde – 3

Badredine Bouanani – 5

Youssoufa Moukoko – 3

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice