PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 1-2 AS Roma: quickfire Roma brace downs Le Gym in Europa League opener | OneFootball

UEFA Europa League, Round 1, 24/09/25

Rinse and repeat. OGC Nice failed to win any of their eight UEFA Europa League games last season. They have started the latest campaign in the same vein, losing 2-1 to Gian Piero Gasperini’s AS Roma.

The Match

Both teams played the first half in a way that suggested they would be happy to shake hands and call it a draw. Gasperini’s Atalanta were a progressive, attractive side to watch. His Roma side are more pragmatic and a bit more turgid. They, like Nice, failed to create anything of note in the first half, with Gianluca Mancini’s disallowed header the only notable moment of 45 minutes that passed almost entirely without incident.

However, the game burst into life in a three-minute spell that took the game away from Nice. Halt-time substitute Lorenzo Pellegrini was the difference-maker, his whipped cross turned in by Evan Ndicka, who had lost his marker on his way to the front post. And then just three minutes later, Roma doubled their advantage, Gianluca Mancini steaming into the Nice box to volley home Kostas Tsimikas’ cross. “It is a five-minute spell that we regret, for sure,” reacted Franck Haise post-match.

As Le Gym’s manager highlighted, his side “defended well for 90-95% of the game,” but that lapse would prove costly. There was hope at the death, however. Niccolo Pisilli foolishly brought down Antoine Mendy, who was running harmlessly out of play. Nice took the gift, with Terem Moffi turning home the penalty. But they failed to test Mile Svilar again.

The game finished 2-1, with Haise highlighting the gap in quality between the two sides. It was a gap that was also evident in last season’s Europa League campaign, which ended without a single win. Nice will desperately hope that history does not repeat.

OGC Nice player ratings

Yehvann Diouf – 3

The former Reims goalkeeper’s poor ball out led to the corner from which Roma scored their opener. He could arguably have done better with that goal, as well as the goal he let in from Mancini in the first half, which was ultimately ruled out for offside. He is yet to repeat his performances at Reims last season with his new club.

Dante – 5

Juma Bah – 5

Antoine Mendy – 4

Melvin Bard – 5

Hicham Bouadoui – 6

The zippy midfielder was the key to playing through the Roma press in the first half. He showed a good awareness of space and helped Nice gain a footing, particularly in the first half. Le Gym’s midfield was, generally, functional, and he was the most important element of it.

Charles Vanhoutte – 5

Tom Louchet – 5

Jérémie Boga – 4

Kevin Carlos – 4

He started well, gathering long balls, but his influence waned. The Spaniard was, over the course of the game, muscled out by the aggressive and physical Roma defenders. He wasn’t aided by the lack of players around him, as Haise pointed out post-match.

Morgan Sanson – 5

AS Roma selected player ratings

Lorenzo Pellegrini – 7

The difference maker. The Italian came on at half-time and changed the course of the game. He added the energy and the spark that the man he replaced, Stephan El Shaarawy, lacked. His technical quality and deadball delivery saw Roma open up the game at the start of the second half and turned the tie firmly in the Italian side’s favour.

Artem Dovbyk – 3

Gianluca Mancini – 7

Kostas Tsimikas – 6

GFFN | L. Entwistle – reporting from Nice