Brest's clinical slaughter exposes Nice's fragility

Average Futmetrix Score: 48/100. At Stade Francis-Le Blé, Stade Brestois 29 transformed a collision between two desperate teams into a brutal exhibition of efficiency, dismantling Nice 4-1 with intensity that cut through the Côte d'Azur club's possession dominance like a blade through silk.

The six-minute knockout punch

By the 6th minute, Ludovic Ajorque had buried Nice's hopes. A razor-sharp cut inside, a cross from Romain Del Castillo, and the Breton striker had already laid the foundation for what would become an avalanche. Three minutes later, Del Castillo returned the favour, converting Ajorque's assist. This supposed crunch match between two sides in freefall had become a one-sided reckoning. Nice, commanding 62% possession, found themselves trapped in Brest's counter-attacking web.

VAR's footnote and the defensive collapse

Terem Moffi pulled one back for the Aiglons at the 30-minute mark, assisted by Hicham Boudaoui, with VAR confirming the goal moments later. But it was merely a consolation in a match where balance had evaporated entirely. Brest held the emotional and physical grip. Nice fired 21 shots into the void. Raphaël Labeau Lascary, introduced at the 61st minute, sealed the rout at 76, while Joris Chotard completed the festival at 70. Four goals in 70 minutes—this was execution, not a match.

The statistic that kills

Nice's numbers screamed dominance: 605 completed passes, 89% accuracy, seven corners. Yet Brest's story was written in conversion rates. With just 38% possession and 11 shots, they scored four. Nice squandered their intensity into 21 sterile attempts. This is the chasm between owning the ball and owning the game. Brest finally breathes after weeks of suffocation. Nice drowns deeper.