If Nice, who lost the first leg in Tel Aviv (1-0) last Thursday, managed to catch up before the half-hour mark thanks to a header from Alexis Claude-Maurice (1-0, 25th) , Lucien Favre's men had to wait for extra time and an exceptional strike from incoming Alexis Beka Beka (113th), to eliminate the Israeli club.

At the end of their strength, and ten against eleven during extra time following the second red card received by Amine Gouiri (100th), synonymous with exclusion, the people of Nice have therefore snatched a painful but precious European qualification, and will know their opponent Friday after the draw for the group stage.

Inevitably, Sunday against Marseille, without Jean-Clair Todibo and Mario Lemina suspended, the legs will be very heavy for the Mediterranean derby.

But the heads will be released from immense pressure.

The Gym quickly took possession of the opposing camp, with the inconveniences that this entails, in particular that of leaving spaces that can be used on the counter for the opponent.

Moreover, it was Dante who perfectly cut the first real dangerous situation of the meeting at the center line (9th).

Then, his friend Todibo intervened against the opposing offensive passes (15th).

Despite this domination and this imbalance, it was not until Andy Delort and his acolytes manage to frame an attempt.

Claude-Maurice took over in an unorthodox way, between the head and the shoulder, the center of Khéphren Thuram (1-0, 25th).

Beka Beka as a savior

In the process, the collective action between Melvin Bard, in the center, Delort, at the discount, and Aaron Ramsey, at the deflected half-volley for a corner (29th), could have offered a liberating advantage to the Aiglons.

It was not, either, given by Delort unable to take advantage of the missed back pass from Geraldes (32nd).

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After the break, the real Nice blaster was Thuram.

His strikes were dangerous (48th, 83rd, with a fine save from Daniel Peretz), his rides were destabilizing (52nd, 63rd).

But neither Bard (52nd) nor Delort (63rd) hit the target.

Nice pushed, but like Amine Gouiri's shot deflected for a corner in stoppage time (90th + 3), an Israeli foot systematically opposed.

In the end, eleven corners and 22 shots from Nice came to nothing.

During extra time, nothing was the same: Gouiri, who had injured Joris van Overeem (80th), was sent off (100th), Thuram, crippled with cramps, came out (106th) replaced Alexis Beka Beka.

For one of his first balls, the ex-Caennais let Oscar Gloukh hit the bar (106th).

But for one of the following, he delivered a whole stadium.

After recovering the ball on the left side, he sent an exceptional strike with the right foot into the top corner of Peretz (2-0, 113th).

Nine years ago, Apoel Limassol eliminated Claude Puel's Nice in the Europa League play-offs.

This nightmare is gone.

And Nice has freed itself of a weight.

© 2022 AFP