PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 3-3 Lorient: Tom Louchet nets brace in six-goal thriller | OneFootball

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Matchday 23, 22/02/26

The spoils were shared between OGC Nice and FC Lorient, who saw out a six goal thriller (3-3) at the Allianz Riviera.

The Match

OGC Nice were ruthlessly efficient in the first half. They only had two chances of note, but they netted both, and both came courtesy of the same combination. It was Mohamed-Ali Cho’s cross that was met at the back post by Tom Louchet in the 12th minute, and the former’s shot, tipped by Yvon Mvogo, that was tapped in from just a yard by the latter just before half-time.

Having controlled and looked dangerous for long periods, Lorient looked set to go in two goals down, which would have been undesereved and Pablo Pagis ensured that wasn’t the case, curling his free-kick off the inside of the post in first-half injury-time.

But the two-goal lead was re-established after the break as Nice’s two half-time substitutes combined – Jonathan Clauss pulling the ball back for Kail Boudache to net his first goal in Ligue 1. However, as it was at the end of the first half, that two-goal lead was short-lived as Bamba Dieng once again reduced the deficit to just one goal from the spot, after Noah Cadiou was brought down by Clauss. 

Boudache almost got his second, but failed to round Mvogo in the Lorient goal after being put through by Cho, and so Les Merlus continued to have hope going into the final stages and they would salvage a point through Cadiou deep in injury time. 

OGC Nice player ratings

Maxime Dupé – 5

Ali Abdi – 3

Dante – 5

Kojo Peprah Oppong – 6

Antoine Mendy – 5

Charles Vanhoutte – 5

Morgan Sanson – 6

Tom Louchet – 7

The Nice academy product has had his critics this season and rightly so, but in an unfamiliar position on the left of the attack, he showed great instincts, popping up in the right place at the right time at the back post on two occasions. 

Sofiane Diop – 4

Mohamed-Ali Cho – 7

Kevin Carlos – 3

The Spaniard was once again ineffective, as he has been all season, to the extent that he is now almost ironically cheered for any positive involvement. There weren’t many in the first half, before being replaced by Kail Boudache (6) at half-time. It wasn’t perfect from the academy product, who took his goal well, but could have had a double. He completely scuffed an effort just before netting Nice’s third and also had the chance to kill the game, but failed to round Mvogo. It would prove costly. 

Selected Lorient player ratings

Pablo Pagis – 8

The technical leader of this Lorient team, he is the lifeblood of all of Lorient’s attacking phases of play. He was already highly influential before his goal, which was the moment of quality in a game that sometimes lacked it, despite the excitement. 

Théo Le Bris – 3

He was the one caught out on Nice’s opener, caught napping at the back post as Louchet snuck in behind him. Clear openings were at a premium in the first half for Lorient and the best fell to him. It was a tame effort and a big missed opportunity. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice