It will therefore have been necessary to be patient to see the Gym win this summer. Deprived of success since the resumption, the Aiglons were often sluggish this Saturday but ended up winning 1-0 against Torino. While the last friendly match of the summer is often the occasion to present the new faces to the supporters, the Gym presents itself against the “Toro” without any recruits in the starting XI, except Marcin Bulka definitively transferred on the Côte d’Azur this summer. At the applause meter it is suddenly without surprise Lucien Favre who wins at the time of the presentation of the workforce. The Swiss coach decides to align his team in 4-3-3 with Claude-Maurice in the middle and Brahimi in fronttwo players who have convinced Favre since his return to the club.
A soporific first period
After 10 minutes of play, left-hander Ricardo Rodriguez lights the first bit with his right foot. To the side. In the wake Alexis Claude-Maurice finds the frame but his attempt is boxed by the Italian goalkeeper. The number 10 from Nice is also one of the most active in the middle. On the newly laid lawn, the Gym is still struggling to set the pace in this first period. It is even the Turin club which dominates the first half hour. Lucien Favre then took advantage of the first cool break (the thermometer still read 32 degrees at 5.30 p.m.) to talk at length with Gouiri and Thuram. Without much effect. On the bench opposite, Toro coach Ivan Juric, very agitated, is the first warned for a gesture of humor. Well shifted to the right side of the penalty area, Samuele Ricci crosses his shot a bit too much to open the scoring (38th). After a final shot from Gouiri that was too soft, the referee put an end to a lackluster first half.
Bulka decisive, Gouiri asleep
At the break, the young Antoine Mendy replaces Melvin Bard takes the right side of the defense while Jordan Lotomba switches to the left. Launched deep Brahimi hits at the entrance to the area but his shot from the left flies into the South stand (47th). Gouiri then tarnishes a good action initiated by Thuram then relayed by Delort. The Nice number 11 shows little spirit on his left side, in line with his disappointing end to the season. Unlike Andy Delort, active in the center but clumsy when hitting a cage deserted by the Italian goalkeeper (56th). Ten minutes later, Delort reunited with his attacking partner with a fine header but the goalkeeper pulled out a shot on target from Gouiri (67′). There follows a little heat stroke after a foul on Thuram. Rosario and Sanabria come to blows and are warned. This is the moment chosen by Favre to change the face of his team. Stengs and rookie Ilie return in place of Thuram and Delort. Brahimi then passes in the axis to leave the right side to Stengs while Ilie is positioned in the zone of Thuram, in the heart of the game. The young Romanian brings a little pep to her team and Rosario is not far away to find the skylight following a discount from Ilie (74th). In the aftermath Bulka once again saves the Gym and confirms that he has the shoulders to endorse the costume of successor to Walter Benitez.
Favre’s Winning Coaching
The two entrants are then decisive to allow the Gym to open the scoring. Left alone in the area Ilie receives the ball and takes his time to serve Calvin Stengs, who only has to finish in the empty goal (1-0 / 79th). The last ten minutes are more unbridled with changes and fatigue but nothing will be marked, despite Brahimi’s efforts. After two draws and two defeats, the Gym is therefore wrapping up its summer preparation with a short success which confirms that the Aiglons are still in the running-in period a week before going to the stadium of Toulouse to start their Ligue 1 season. of Claude-Maurice and Bulka, the activity of Brahimi and the good entries of Ilie and Stengs. Young Mendy and Belahyane still had playing time and we begin to see a hierarchy taking shape in Lucien Favre’s mind. Strongly Sunday (next)!
OGC Nice (4-3-3): Bulka – Lotomba, Todibo, Dante (c), Bard – Claude-Maurice, Rosario, Thuram – Brahimi, Delort, Gouiri
Torino (5-3-2): Milinkovic Savic – Singo, Izzo, Zima, Rodriguez, Aina – Lukic, Ricci, Linetty – Sanabria, Seck