THE MATCH
Both sides came into the game unbeaten – two of four teams in the division – with the hosts top and the visitors third, separated by just two points. While Monaco had stumbled to a draw at Lorient, Nice had defeated Paris Saint-Germain last weekend, and Francesco Farioli kept faith with the same starting XI that had triumphed in the French capital.
The duo’s confidence was clear in a high-octane opening. Balogun was making his first start for Monaco following his summer arrival from Arsenal. The USA international was given the ideal opportunity to open his account for his new club when Jordan Lotomba knocked Aleksandr Golovin off balance inside the penalty box (9′). But Balogun, who scored 21 league goals while on loan at Reims last season, sent his low shot to the same side as Marcin Bulka dived, and the Polish goalkeeper pushed out his effort (12′).
Nice had the lion’s share of possession (55.2%) in the opening half-hour, but took all of the first 30 minutes to create an opportunity: Youssouf Ndayishimiye drove forward with the ball at his feet before playing a pass into the run of Morgan Sanson, his cross was headed goalwards by Sofiane Diop, but the ex-Monaco man saw Philipp Köhn beat away his effort (30′).
Diop, who left the principality for Nice in summer 2022, then sent a powerful shot over the bar after Sanson had robbed Caio Henrique (32′) before Terem Moffi forced another stop from Köhn (37′) with the visitors looking like they would end the first half the stronger.
Monaco though woke up in added time and a Vanderson shot nearly found its way past Bulka thanks to a ricochet off Ndayishimiye (45+3′) before Balogun hit a post with a header from a Caio Henrique cross (45+4′) to give Adi Hütter’s side optimism for the second half.
It clearly was not Balogun’s night as he missed his second penalty of the game nine minutes after the interval. Sanson was penalised for a foul on Takumi Minamino, but Balogun’s powerful drive down the middle was kept out by Bulka (54′) to make the Monaco forward the first player to miss two penalties in the same Ligue 1 Uber Eats game since Toifilou Maoulida for Auxerre against Bordeaux in August 2007.
Boga came off the bench for Diop shortly after the hour mark (64′), and provided a corner that might have broken the deadlock, but Ndayishimiye saw his header smack off the crossbar (77′).
Minamino forced a stop from Bulka with a powerful effort (82′) before Aliou Baldé did the same to Köhn at the opposite end (88′) as the game appeared destined to end goalless.
That was before Boga intervened, motoring onto a Melvin Bard ball, racing away from Vanderson and evading the challenge of Wilfried Singo before firing in a superb individual goal (90+1′) – his first for his new club since his summer arrival – to settle it in Nice’s favour and leave his club unbeaten after the first six games of a new season for only the second time this millenium.
THE PLAYER: Marcin Bulka
The former Chelsea and PSG man showed why Nice were happy to put their faith in him and allow Kasper Schmeichel to leave the club this summer. He only turns 24 in early October, and there is clearly a lot more to come.
THE STAT: 4
This is only the fourth time in 16 short trips to the Stade Louis II that Nice have departed with all three points, though they have now won on their last two with a 3-0 triumph in February this year.
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