Nice vs SL Benfica: Resumen

OGC Nice suffered a 0-2 defeat against Sport Lisboa e Benfica in their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round first leg at the Allianz Riviera. The Portuguese giants demonstrated their superior match fitness and tactical organization on this warm August evening in the French Riviera.

Benfica's second-half goals from Franjo Ivanovic and Florentino gave the visitors a commanding advantage to take back to Lisbon for the return fixture. The Eagles' experience at this level was evident throughout the match, as they controlled proceedings despite playing away from home.

For Nice, making their first Champions League appearance since 1959, the evening served as a harsh reminder of the quality required at Europe's elite level. Franck Haise's men, who finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season to earn this qualifying opportunity, now face an uphill battle in the second leg.

The atmosphere at the Allianz Riviera was electric before kickoff, with local supporters hopeful of seeing their team take a step toward the prestigious group stage. However, as the match progressed, the traveling Benfica faithful made themselves heard as their team took control.

This result puts Benfica in a strong position to advance to the play-off round, where either Fenerbahçe or Feyenoord potentially awaits. For Nice, they'll need to produce a remarkable performance in Lisbon to overturn this deficit and keep their Champions League dreams alive.

"We knew this would be a challenging test against a team with greater competitive rhythm. The difference in match fitness was evident, especially in the second half. We have areas to improve, but I believe in my players' ability to grow from this experience," remarked Franck Haise, Nice's head coach after the defeat.

"Our preparation for this match was excellent. We studied Nice thoroughly and executed our game plan perfectly. The 2-0 advantage is significant, but we won't underestimate our opponents in the second leg," stated Bruno Lage, Benfica's coach, expressing satisfaction with his team's performance.

"This is just the first half of the tie. Yes, we face a difficult challenge in Lisbon, but in football, anything is possible. We'll analyze what went wrong and prepare to fight until the end," declared Dante, Nice's veteran captain, showing determination despite the setback.

"We showed our quality today. The Champions League is our natural habitat, and we demonstrated why. But we remain focused – the job is only half done," cautioned Nicolás Otamendi, Benfica's experienced defender.

"The difference between these teams tonight was efficiency. Benfica took their chances while Nice couldn't capitalize on theirs. This tie isn't over, but Nice will need something special in Lisbon," analyzed former French international Christophe Dugarry for Canal+.

Ball Possession: OGC Nice 46% - 54% Sport Lisboa e Benfica

Shots: Nice 12 (4 on target) - Benfica 15 (7 on target)

Corners: Nice 6 - Benfica 7

Fouls: Nice 14 - Benfica 11

Yellow Cards: Nice 2 (Boudaoui 33', Dante 67') - Benfica 1 (Otamendi 41')

Individual Performance Highlights:

Terem Moffi (Nice): 3 shots, 1 on target, 2 successful dribbles, 24 touches in the final third

Yehvann Diouf (Nice): 5 saves, 68% passing accuracy, 1 high claim

Franjo Ivanović (Benfica): 1 goal, 2 shots on target, 91% passing accuracy, 42 total touches

Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica): 4 shots, 2 on target, 1 assist, 3 key passes

Defensive Actions: Nice: 18 tackles (11 successful), 14 interceptions, 22 clearances Benfica: 15 tackles (9 successful), 11 interceptions, 19 clearances

Benfica dominated the key performance metrics, particularly in the second half when they scored both goals. Their superior passing accuracy (85% vs Nice's 78%) and shot conversion rate highlighted the difference in quality on the night.

3': Early chance for Nice as Terem Moffi fired just wide after good work from Badredine Bouanani down the right flank. The home crowd responded with enthusiastic applause.

28': Vangelis Pavlidis tested Yehvann Diouf with Benfica's first meaningful attempt, forcing the Nice goalkeeper into a diving save to his right.

45': Half-time with the scores level at 0-0. Nice showed promise but Benfica grew into the game as the half progressed.

53': GOAL! Nice 0-1 Benfica. Franjo Ivanović broke the deadlock with a clinical finish after excellent build-up play involving Andreas Schjelderup and Vangelis Pavlidis. The Croatian midfielder found space in the box and slotted past Diouf.

65': Double substitution for Nice as Franck Haise responded to going behind, introducing fresh attacking options in search of an equalizer.

74': Crucial moment as Nice's Moffi was denied by a spectacular save from Anatolii Trubin, preserving Benfica's lead when the equalizer seemed certain.

82': Bruno Lage made tactical changes, shifting to a more defensive 5-3-2 formation to protect Benfica's advantage.

88': GOAL! Nice 0-2 Benfica. Florentino doubled the visitors' lead with a powerful header from a corner, giving Benfica a commanding advantage in the tie. The away section erupted in celebration.

90+4': Full-time: OGC Nice 0-2 Sport Lisboa e Benfica. The Portuguese side takes a significant advantage into the second leg.

This UEFA Champions League qualifier marked the first-ever competitive meeting between OGC Nice and Sport Lisboa e Benfica, adding a historic dimension to the encounter.

Club European Pedigree:

• Benfica boasts a rich European history with two European Cup/Champions League titles (1961, 1962) and has reached the final on five other occasions. They regularly participate in European competition and have extensive experience at this level.

• Nice's European experience is more limited, with their last Champions League appearance dating back to 1959. Their recent European campaigns have primarily been in the Europa Conference League.

Key Individual Battles:

Dante vs. Vangelis Pavlidis: The veteran Brazilian defender Dante faced a challenging evening against Benfica's Greek forward Pavlidis. While Dante used his experience to position himself well, Pavlidis's movement created numerous problems and he contributed an assist for Benfica's first goal.

Terem Moffi vs. Nicolás Otamendi: Nice's Nigerian striker Moffi found Benfica's Argentine defender Otamendi a formidable opponent. The World Cup winner used his physicality and reading of the game to largely neutralize Moffi's threat, though the Nice forward did create one excellent chance that required a fine save.

Morgan Sanson vs. Richard Ríos: In midfield, Nice's Sanson struggled to impose himself against the energy and tactical discipline of Benfica's Ríos, who helped the visitors control the tempo of the match, particularly in the second half.

This first-ever meeting has set the stage for what promises to be an intriguing second leg in Lisbon, where these individual battles will be renewed with Nice needing to overcome the two-goal deficit.

As this was a UEFA Champions League qualifying match, there is no league table to update. However, in terms of the qualification path:

Qualification Status:

• Sport Lisboa e Benfica now has a 2-0 advantage in this third qualifying round tie. If they maintain this lead in the second leg, they will advance to the Champions League play-off round, where they'll face either Fenerbahçe or Feyenoord for a place in the group stage.

• OGC Nice faces an uphill battle, needing to overcome a two-goal deficit in Lisbon to progress. If eliminated, they would drop into the UEFA Europa League play-off round.

Recent Form:

• Benfica extends their unbeaten run to 20 matches in regular time across all competitions, demonstrating why they're considered among the favorites to reach the group stage.

• Nice will need to quickly recover from this setback as they balance their European ambitions with the upcoming Ligue 1 season, which begins shortly after the second leg.

Champions League Path: The winner of this tie will be just one two-legged tie away from securing a place among Europe's elite in the Champions League group stage, while the loser will continue their European journey in the Europa League.