PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 3-1 Auxerre: Franck Haise’s side register first win of the season | OneFootball

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 2, 23/08/25

OGC Nice registered their first win of the season, putting three past 10-man Auxerre (3-1) at the Allianz Riviera.

The Match

Nice were stifled entirely last week in their loss to Toulouse FC, lacking inspiration and a cutting edge. Franck Haise’s side quickly put that right against Auxerre. In the third minute, Jérémie Boga popped up in the box to volley home Tom Louchet’s cross into the box as Le Gym netted their first goal of the 2025/26 Ligue 1 campaign.

However, Auxerre reacted well. Lassine Sinayoko, closing in on a move away from Auxerre, combined nicely with Kévin Danois, who fed Josué Casimir. His effort was well saved by Yehvann Diouf, who got up to then expertly save Danois’ effort. Kevin Carlos, on debut, then should have done better with his free header moments later, and Nice were duly punished.

Seconds after another big save from a Sinayoko half-volley, the Mali international got his goal, arriving late in the box to slide home Ibrahim Osman’s ball into the box. Having worked hard to restore parity, it was a lapse in concentration that saw them fall behind once again. A high turnover saw the ball come to Carlos, whose touch was poor, and allowed Clément Akpa to steal in, but only for the Auxerre defender to divert the ball past his own goalkeeper, Donovan.

But Le Gym couldn’t stem the flow of AJA chances. There was a goalline scramble after Diouf diverted Osman’s well-struck volley into the path of Casimir, whose header was saved onto the post and ultimately cleared off the line.

A goal down, Auxerre were then a man down as Leon rushed out to prevent Isak Jansson from getting onto Hicham Boudaoui’s ball in behind. However, the ball beyond him, he could only take out the Nice forward, a red card the logical consequence for his misjudged foray out of his box.

Even then, Auxerre kept on coming. Sinayoko was the major threat, forcing another Diouf save and then drilling just inches wide moments later.  Terem Moffi did then put the game to bed. Moments after coming on for Carlos, he headed home from a couple of yards out after Louchet showed the presence of mind to cut the ball back from a tight angle. Moffi almost had a second in stoppage time, rifling against the bar, whilst Diouf was once again called into action, denying Danois from close range, but 3-1 it finished, as Le Gym opened their account for the 2025/26 season.

Nice player ratings

Yehvann Diouf – 8

On paper, this looks like a comfortable victory, but only because of Diouf’s heroics on the night. The former Stade de Reims has had a shaky start at Nice but made a string of crucial saves, particularly in the first half. It meant that, at the break, Nice headed in 2-1 up, not 4-2, as it could have been without his intervention.

Kojo Peprah Oppong – 5

Juma Bah – 6

Antoine Mendy – 6

Melvin Bard – 5

Salis Abdul Hamed – 5

Hicham Boudaoui – 5

Tom Louchet – 7

Replacing Jonathan Clauss, who wants to leave the club, he imitated the France international pretty well. He was found wanting defensively on several occasions, including on Auxerre’s goal. However, on the ball, he was excellent, putting numerous dangerous balls into the box, two of which found a teammate and were turned home.

Jérémie Boga – 6

Kevin Carlos – 3

A difficult debut for Carlos, who ran the channels and showed willingness but was clumsy, both in terms of his touch and his finishing. He squandered a glorious chance to give Nice a two-goal cushion in the first half, prior to Auxerre’s equaliser, and should have effectively ended the game by netting Les Aiglons’ third in the second half. With Moffi still struggling following his ACL injury, and with Evann Guessand and Gaëtan Laborde gone, he didn’t look like the answer to Nice’s problems, at least not tonight. Moffi, replacing Carlos and then scoring within three minutes, naturally doesn’t reflect well on the Spaniard.

Isak Jansson – 5

Auxerre selected player ratings

Lassine Sinayoko – 7

His link-up play was excellent, and he took his goal, his second of the season, calmly. Even with limited service in the second half, he managed to test Diouf and keep Auxerre’s hopes of salvaging a point alive. If that is to be his final game for Auxerre, he has ended on a strong note.

Kévin Danois – 7

Donovan Leon – 3

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice