PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 1-3 Freiburg: Melvin Bard errors prove costly as Nice’s winless run in Europe extends to 16 games | OneFootball

UEFA Europa League, Matchday 4, 06/11/25

OGC Nice suffered their fourth consecutive loss in this season’s UEFA Europa League, this time at the hands of Freiburg (1-3), as their winless run in European competition was extended to 16 games.

The Match

A match that started so well ended with such frustration for Nice. It was a more positive start for the hosts, who were in search of their first win of this Europa League campaign, and they took the lead thanks to Freiburg’s disorganised back-line, with Kevin Carlos exploiting a misalgined offside trap to get in behind and finish. 

But the intensity immediately dropped and Le Gym were swept aside in 13 brutal minutes. Melvin Bard was at fault for the first, miscontroling inside his own box, allowed Freiburg to jump on him. Dispossesed by Yuito Suzuki, he teed up Johan Manzambi, who still had work to do, but who found the finish. 

Bard was then at fault just eight minutes later as he brought down Suzuki clumsily. Captain Vincenzo Grifo sent Yehvann Diouf the wrong way from the spot, and the Nice goalkeeper was beaten for the third time in 13 minutes just two minutes later, as Derry Scherhant gave the visitors a two-goal advantage. “Allez les Bleus”, sang the Freiburg fans, mocking the France national team chant, supporting their team, kitted in blue on the night. Their team were toying with Nice on the pitch, too. 

Nice showed a reaction of sorts in the second-half and should have got one back when Sofiane Diop’s  backheel picked out Jérémie Boga. But the former Chelsea forward’s effort was blocked; seconds later Salis Abdul Samed blazed over from a great position. The Bundesliga side had chances to extend their advantage further, as Junior Adama tried and failed to round Diouf when put through one-on-one, whilst Mohamed-Ali Cho had two chances in the final moments, but it was already too late, the game had escaped Haise’s men. They remain without a point in this season’s Europa League; Freiburg remain unbeaten. The large chasm that seperates these two sides in the table wasn’t on show for long on Thursday night, but it was for 13 minutes, and that was what counted.

OGC Nice player ratings

Yehvann Diouf – 4

Melvin Bard – 2

Wearing the captain’s armband, it was his performance that cost his side. Two errors within the space of a matter of minutes directly led to two goals and definitively turned the tide in this crucial encounter. He was more probing in the second half, looking to amend for his errors, but the damage was already done.

Juma Bah – 5

Antoine Mendy – 6

Ali Abdi – 3

Replaced by Mohamed-Ali Cho (4) at half-time.

Salis Abdul Samed – 3

Charles Vanhoutte – 6

Tiago Gouveia – 3

Jérémie Boga – 4

Kevin Carlos – 5

Sofiane Diop – 6

There were few players who stood up and were counted on a sombre night at the Allianz Riviera, but Diop was once again one of them. The Moroccan would have been excused for a middling performance, given that he came off injured over the weekend, but he was the creative centre of this Nice side. Be it through dribbles or passes, he continued his fine run of form, but was let down by those around him.

GFFN | L. Entwistle