Nice 0-1 Nantes: Blas penalty settles Coupe de France final

Not
since
2001
had
Nantes
added
to
their
list
of
honours,
but
they
will
play
in
the
Europa
League
next
season
after
edging
Saturday’s
showdown
at
the
Stade
de
France.

Blas
was
on
target
from
the
spot
in
the
first
minute
of
the
second
half
after
Hicham
Boudaoui
handled
and
Stephanie
Frappart
–
the
first
female
to
referee
a
men’s
Coupe
de
France
final
–
pointed
to
the
spot.

Nantes
held
on
to
to
secure
a
return
to
Europe,
leaving
Nice
without
a
trophy
since
back
in
1997.

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C’est
terminééééééééé
!

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!#CDF
I

#OGCNFCN
0-1
I

#OnEstNantes
pic.twitter.com/wpWhpB3c1S

—
FC
Nantes
(@FCNantes)

May
7,
2022

Amine
Gouiri
set
the
tone
for
a
poor
first
half
when
his
sloppy
touch
in
the
penalty
area
gave
Nantes
an
early
let-off.

Blas
tried
his
luck
at
the
other
end
from
just
outside
the
box,
but
failed
to
generate
enough
power
on
a
shot
that
was
saved
by
Marcin
Bulka.

Gouiri’s
deflected
strike
flashed
wide
and
Andy
Delort
should
have
done
better
with
a
header
from
the
resulting
corner,
with
Nantes
goalkeeper
Alban
Lafont
flapping.

It
was
Les
Canaris
who
took
the
lead
right
at
the
start
of
the
second
half,
Blas
emphatically
dispatching
his
spot-kick
after
Boudaoui
handled
in
the
box.

A
desperate
last-ditch
block
prevented
Moses
Simon
from
doubling
Nantes’ lead
soon
after
they
went
in
front
and
Jean-Charles
Castelletto
headed
wide,
with
Nice
looking
vulnerable
at
the
back.

Lafont
palmed
away
Delort’s
drive
and
showed
great
reactions
to
deny
Delort
following
up
with
20
minutes
to
go
as
Nice
failed
to
conjure
up
an
equaliser.

What
does
it
mean?
Les
Canaris
cap
incredible
turnaround

Nantes
only
stayed
in
Ligue
1
by
beating
Toulouse
in
a
relegation
play-off
last
year
and
they
can
celebrate
with
much
more
pride
12
months
on.

Antoine
Kombouare’s
side
defended
superbly
after
taking
the
lead
and
the
club
have
finally
added
a
trophy
to
their
cabinet
over
two
decades
after
they
were
crowned
champions
of
France
in
the
2000-01
campaign.

Ambitious
Nice,
on
the
other
hand,
must
reflect
on
a
missed
opportunity
after
dumping
Paris
Saint-Germain
and
Marseille
out
en
route
to
the
final.
Christophe
Galtier’s
men
must
regroup
as
they
battle
to
qualify
for
Europe.

Girotto
rock
solid

Andrei
Girotto
played
a
big
role
in
Nantes’
triumph
with
a
rock-solid
display
at
their
heart
of
their
defence.

He
read
the
game
superbly
and
put
his
body
on
the
line,
making
11
clearances
and
four
interceptions.

Boudaoui
hands
it
to
Nantes

Nice
were
caught
cold
at
the
start
of
the
second
half
and
Boudaoui’s
lapse
proved
to
be
costly.
He
was
also
booked
before
being
hauled
off
12
minutes
into
the
second
half.

What’s
next?

Nantes
will
be
hoping
the
hangovers
have
gone
by
the
time
they
take
on
Rennes
in
Ligue
1
on
Wednesday
(May
11),
when
Nice
must
take
their
agony
out
on
Saint-Etienne.