Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Nice beat Marseille 3-0 in a pre-season friendly at the Robert Louis-Dreyfus Training Centre, with Sofiane Diop scoring one and setting up another in torrential rain.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Played behind closed doors in torrential rain, the match began with Marseille pressing hard. Nice goalkeeper Teddy Boulhendi produced two excellent saves inside the opening 16 minutes to keep the scores level (12', 16' — OGC Nice match report).
Against the run of early pressure, Nice struck first. Junior Mandza won possession in central defence, and Nice broke at speed through Sofiane Diop. The Morocco international played Brad-Hamilton Mantsounga through, and the young defender calmly finished with the inside of his foot to make it 1-0 in the 20th minute.
Nice doubled their lead four minutes before half-time. Diop forced a Marseille error high up the pitch, drove forward and finished neatly from close range to make it 2-0 (41').
After the break, Marseille pushed higher and hit the crossbar in the 52nd minute. But Nice's second-choice goalkeeper Martin Ponsot, introduced just after the hour, made two decisive saves to deny Igor Paixão and Faris Moumbagna (67', 71').
Nice sealed the win in the 67th minute through 18-year-old Aboulaye Camara. Victor Orakpo held the ball up brilliantly with his back to goal, Mohamed-Ali Cho burst past his defender and squared for Camara to finish at the far post.
The turning point
Boulhendi's double save inside the first 16 minutes kept Nice in the match while Marseille were on top. Had Marseille scored first, the dynamic shifts entirely. Instead, the opening goal arrived five minutes later on the counter, and Nice never looked back.
Key performers
Sofiane Diop (Player of the Match) — A goal and an assist, but his influence went deeper. Diop dropped into midfield to dictate tempo, pressed effectively, and forced the error that led to his own goal. He was the difference between the sides in the first half.
Teddy Boulhendi — Two outstanding saves in the opening quarter-hour kept Marseille out when they were dominant. His clean sheet lasted his entire shift.
Brad-Hamilton Mantsounga — Scored the opener with a composed finish and looked solid defensively in the 3-4-3 system. A mature performance from a young defender.
Martin Ponsot — The substitute goalkeeper made two key saves in quick succession (67', 71') to preserve the clean sheet when Marseille were pressing hardest.
By the numbers — interpreted
Nice's 3-0 scoreline flatters their possession share — they spent long spells under pressure, particularly in the first 20 minutes and again after the hour mark. But the efficiency of their transitions was devastating: three goals from three real chances, all created by quick breaks or forced turnovers. Marseille dominated periods of the match (hitting the crossbar, forcing multiple saves) but failed to convert territory into goals. For a pre-season friendly, Nice's defensive organisation — two different backlines across two halves — and clinical edge were the standout takeaways.
What it means
This was Nice's second pre-season friendly after a 4-0 win over Nîmes the previous week, and their second clean sheet. Les Aiglons now face Juventus on Friday 31 July in their third pre-season fixture. Marseille, meanwhile, continue their own preparations for the 2026/27 Ligue 1 campaign. While pre-season results carry limited weight, Nice's back-to-back wins with clean sheets build useful momentum.
Verdict
A statement pre-season performance from Nice. The scoreline, the clean sheet, and the quality of the transitions all point to a side further along in its preparations. Diop's class was the decisive factor, but the collective defensive discipline — especially from two different lineups — will please Pantaloni most.
Marseille and Nice have met 34 times — Marseille won 16, Nice won 12, with 6 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2010. Marseille leads the head-to-head with 16 victories from 34 meetings. A combined 104 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 3.06 per match (57 for the home side, 47 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 20 matches (59%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 19 games (56%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 4–5 in 2014.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 1 Aug 2026