March 17, (THEWILL) – Nice secured a historic victory in the UEFA Europa Conference League by beating Sheriff Tiraspol 3-1 (and 4-1 on aggregate) to qualify for the quarter-final of the competition for the first time since 1960.
Despite Sheriff’s solid defence early on, they lacked ambition and invention in the first half and were punished by Nice’s talented players. The Moldovan side’s game plan was clear: remain compact, contain, and try to hit on the break. However, Nice dictated the tempo of the game and were allowed too much time on the ball.
Under Julien Sablé’s lead, Nice broke the deadlock in the first half, thanks to a composed finish by Gaëtan Laborde. They looked to have put the game beyond Sheriff early in the second half when Terem Moffi scored a brilliant goal. However, Jean-Clair Todibo’s poor-headed clearance allowed Sheriff to pull one back immediately through Abdoul Tapsoba.
Nice’s rhythm was then perturbed by a quadruple substitution, which allowed Sheriff to find more space. However, as Sheriff finally began to commit, spaces opened up at the back, and Billal Brahimi profited from a Moffi assist to seal the victory for Nice.
Nice will face Lorient in their next match on Sunday in Ligue 1 while Sheriff Tiraspol will take on Petrocub on the same day in the Moldovan National Division.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
