Brest overcome Terem Moffi and Nice in Ligue 1

Super Eagles forward Terem Moffi was unable to help Nice as they fell to a second consecutive league defeat after being overcome by Brest 1-0 in Ligue 1. 

Nice’s lineup suggests that they have traded in the quest for European qualification via the league route in favour as they rested a number of key players with the UEFA Europa Conference League second-leg against Basel coming up during the week. 

One such player who did not start for Nice was Nigerian striker Moffi who was rested after scoring a mid-week brace in the Europa Conference League quarterfinal first-leg against Basel.

In the absence of several key players, Nice struggled to cope with Brest, and were behind after only 12 minutes as the hosts took the lead through winger Jeremy Le Douaron. 

Brest continued to dominate the proceedings in the first half and could have extended their lead, but Franck Honorat blazed the best chance of the match over the bar to keep Nice in the game

At the start of the second half, Nice brought on Nigerian goal-getter Moffi in a bid to rescue the game, but there was little the Super Eagles forward could do to salvage the situation as the game was mostly controlled by the more urgent hosts. 

Brest are seeking to avoid relegation from Ligue 1 this season, while Nice seem to have accepted their league fate and have concentrated efforts on the UECL and this showed in how both teams approached the second half as well. 

But for a momentary scare at the start of the half, and a short period of Nice dominance, the second half, just like the first was dominated by the home side as they ran out 1-0 winners in the end to escape the relegation zone this week.