Auxerre breaks nine-game slump with vital win as Nice’s crisis deepens
Auxerre secured a crucial 3-1 victory over Metz, climbing off the bottom of Ligue 1 after nine matches without a win. The result came as Nice suffered further turmoil, losing 1-0 at home to Angers while facing heavy criticism from their own supporters.
At the same time, Le Havre and Paris FC played out a tense 0-0 draw in a relegation battle marked by a missed penalty.
Auxerre took control early against Metz, with Lassine Sinayoko converting a penalty and Oussama El-Azzouzi adding a second. Gauthier Hein pulled one back just before halftime, but Kevin Danois sealed the win with his first Ligue 1 goal late in the game.
Meanwhile, Nice’s struggles deepened as they fell 1-0 to Angers, their seventh straight defeat. Yassin Belkhdim’s 33rd-minute strike decided the match, while Tom Louchet’s red card for a foul on Jacques Ekomié left the hosts with ten men. The team faced relentless booing from their own fans throughout the game.
The hostility follows last week’s violent attack by around 200 to 400 masked ultra fans at Nice’s training centre. Players Jeremie Boga and Terem Moffi, along with sports director Florian Maurice, were physically assaulted and verbally abused. In a show of solidarity, Nice’s players wore Boga and Moffi’s names on their jerseys during the match.
Elsewhere, Le Havre’s Issa Soumaré missed a penalty in their goalless draw with Paris FC. Both sides remain locked in the relegation battle, unable to break the deadlock despite late pressure.
Auxerre’s win lifts them out of last place, while Nice’s defeat extends their losing streak amid growing fan unrest. The missed penalty in Le Havre’s draw keeps the relegation fight tight, with no clear advantage for either side. The violence and protests at Nice add further uncertainty to their season.
