FM21: NISSA — 2021/22 Midpoint Review
So after the news which Boris dropped on Monday night with the UK heading into another much needed National lockdown, many of the general public will be having feelings of deja vu.
That my friends is no different for Magnus Steinkelsson’s OGC Nice side who at the half-way point hold a commanding lead at the top of Ligue 1, leading fierce rivals Marseille by six points.
Those of you who have been following my save closely will remember from my 2020/21 season analysis post that we were in a similar position this time last year, only for results spanning across the month of February (one point from 15) to significantly impact our chances of finishing in the top three.
Despite being in a similar position, this time the save has a different feeling, looking at the above visualisation you can see that Nice are no longer dependent on the goal scoring ability of Kasper Dolberg.
The addition of Ludovic Blas along with the the consistency of Rony Lopes highlight that contributions this season are spread more evenly across the team. New signing Blas (8) and Alexis Claude-Maurice (5) have also been in excellent goal scoring form, I am going to take some of the credit for this after analysing my players and creating L’anchois et Les Aigles a tactic which I felt would specifically maximise my players ability and play into their individual strengths, thankfully those many hours spent don’t seem to be wasted.
Defensive Analysis
It hasn’t just been the attacking unit which have seen an improved performance, defensively the team have been verging on impenetrable and they set a Ligue 1 record by securing 14 clean sheets in a row, yes you read that right!
This feat I feel could not have been achieved without the following two individuals, firstly 24-year-old Robson Bambu. The Brazilian has been integral to the success of the side and has forced his way back into the starting eleven, despite fierce competition from William Saliba.
I attempted to drill down a little deeper in respect to the performances of the Brazilian by looking at two key defensive metrics, headers won per 90 and tackle rate.
I have highlighted OGC Nice (Red), Marseille (Light Blue) and PSG (Blue)to highlight the sides at the top of Ligue 1, these sides you wouldn’t expect to be having to make as many headers/tackles as a struggling side due to their dominant performances and higher levels of possession.
Bambu is performing above average in relation both metrics, the only central defender to achieve this feat from sides in the top three places in the league. His defensive partner Stanley Nsoki is also not far off, the duo are clearly mopping up any potential threats on goal and with both players still to enter their prime a new contract will certainly be on the table come the end of the season.
Walter Benitez has also been in exceptional form in-between the sticks, the Argentinian boasts a superior save ratio of 89% adding yet another layer of solidity to Nice.
UEFA Champions League
When handed the draw in the clubs return to the Champions League since 2017, I thought we were going to be under the cosh in Europe with the draw presenting us with the likes of RB Leipzig, Tottenham and PSV.
Frankly I couldn’t have been more wrong, Dolberg took just six minutes to get us up and running against what turned out to be the toughest side in our group RB Leipzig, the game finishing 1–1 and was followed up with an away tie against PSV.
The Dutch side were down to 10 men after 6 minutes after Ritsu Doan went two footed into a tackle, 16 shots later and three goals scored we put down a marker to Tottenham.
A 3–1 victory and a 1–1 draw against Spurs left Nice sitting top of the table with two games to spare. A trip to Germany where early goals from Marcel Halstenberg and Dani Olmo put the Red Bull team in command before a quick-fire double for Nice with an own-goal from Ibrahima Konate and a strike from Lopes on the 40th minute put the sides level. A goal from each side after the break secured qualification for Nice and a 2–0 victory in the final game secured top spot.
Breakthrough Prospect: Pedro Brazao
Pedro Brazão at 18 years old has made a significant impact from the bench this season for Les Aiglons, primarily operating as a left-footed right winger in the 528 minutes of top flight football to-date.
His introduction to games, often making 20 minute cameo’s has shown his ability to turn games on the head. Pedro undoubtedly is a great dribbler , combined with a fairly rapid pace , which allows him to create numerical superiority in his area of expertise and also simply show tiring defenders a clean set of heels.
Technically gifted Brazao is capable of delivering the ball with more gusto than the hot sauce at Nando’s. (Check out his celebration, post delivery)
Despite his finishing attribute of nine Pedro has scored some absolute screamers for Nice and is currently out scoring his xG figure, scoring six goals from an xG of just 2.48.
The next GIF really highlights Brazao’s ability to understand and appreciate space, when the ball is played to Kasper Dolberg, Pedro makes his move off the shoulder of the defender who is caught square after being posed with the decision of dealing with the Dane.
Brazao’s movement from a deeper area allows him to access the penalty are and get of shot off, showing his composure he dispatches the ball under the advancing keeper.
I hope you enjoyed the latest update from the Cote d’Azur, with lockdown 3 looking likely to be on the cards for a minimum of the next six weeks I am unsure as to how much free time I will secure as I juggle work and childcare responsibilities.
So until next time, keep safe.
Magnus
