OGC Nice, reduced to ten men before halftime, showcased incredible resolve to hold AS Monaco to a thrilling 2-2 draw at Stade Louis II in Ligue 1. The result extends Nice’s winless streak away from home to six matches across all competitions, but also denied Monaco the chance to move joint-top of the league table.
Coming off a late, morale-boosting midweek draw with Manchester City in the Champions League, Monaco entered the derby expecting a victory against their inconsistent rivals. However, it was the visitors, nicknamed the Eaglets, who started brighter. After seeing an early Antoine Mendy goal ruled out for offside, Nice took a deserved lead when Sofiane Diop’s right-footed curling effort from the edge of the area snuck into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
The match dramatically turned against Nice shortly after, as Ali Abdi was dismissed for a second yellow card. Despite the disadvantage, the Eaglets managed to double their lead when Krepin Diatta was penalised for handball, allowing Diop to convert the penalty from 12 yards for his second goal of the afternoon.
Monaco Capitalise on Man Advantage with Fati Brace
Desperately needing a response, Monaco earned a spot-kick of their own in first-half stoppage time when Antoine Mendy handled the ball. Ansu Fati stepped up and successfully converted the penalty, squeezing the ball past goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf and providing the hosts with renewed belief heading into the interval.
With a man advantage and momentum squarely on their side, all signs pointed to a second-half turnaround for Monaco. The hosts levelled the score just eleven minutes after the restart following a clumsy challenge by Moise Bombito on Willy Delajod, resulting in another penalty. The challenge saw Bombito booked and then stretchered off, adding to Nice’s woes.
Fati duly converted his second spot-kick of the afternoon, putting the Red and Whites in a strong position to push for a winner.
Despite the relentless Monaco onslaught that followed, a resilient Nice side dug deep. They withstood the pressure to earn a crucial point, which sees them remain 12th in the table. Meanwhile, Monaco missed the opportunity to join a four-way tie for the top spot in the tight Ligue 1 race.
