In the 1-1 tie between OGC Nice and Real Sociedad, Evann Guessand missed a penalty.

UEFA Europa League, Round 1, September 25, 24

Luke Entwistle reports from Nice.

OGC Nice came from behind to draw 1-1 against Real Sociedad in their first UEFA Europa League match, but they will be upset not to have taken all three points as Evann Guessand missed a second-half penalty.

The Match

In the first half, there was little to separate the two teams. Both teams pushed hard, but the difference was that when Real Sociedad won the ball back high, they had space to exploit, whilst Nice faced a more tight unit.

Ander Barrenetxea found himself unmarked near the outside of the box during one such transition, following Rosario’s loss of possession due to a bad Jonathan Claus pass. He made no mistake, charging past Marcin Bulka. However, Nice recovered and pulled level before the interval thanks to Rosario’s efforts. He had never scored for Nice before last week’s game against AS Saint-Étienne; now he has two goals.

Real Sociedad, who was battling physically, took a break in the second half, allowing Nice to control possession. While they did not produce many clear-cut chances, they were left regretting an Evann Guessand penalty miss after Dante was brought down in the box.

Both sides stayed enthusiastic and proactive in their search for a winner, but neither could find one.”I am really happy with the team, but I believe we can discuss a disappointing draw. Franck Haise summed it up: “We didn’t win two points, but we deserved them.” However, a point is likely to be acceptable to both parties.

Nice player ratings.

Marcin Bulka – 5

Dante – 7

The Nice captain, who will be 41 next month, has boundless energy. He was persistent in the press, reaching as high as the opposing penalty box. He marshalled his defense colleagues brilliantly, keeping dangerman Oyarzabal quiet throughout.

Moïse Bombito – 6

Youssouf Ndayishimiye – 6

Melvin Bard – 5

Tom Louchet – 3

Pablo Rosario – 7

He controlled the midfield from start to finish and scored his first goal for Le Gym against AS Saint-Étienne on Friday. He then doubled his tally with a neat and incisive finish. In the first half, it felt like he was playing two roles, with Louchet being too lightweight in the center of the park, but Nice dominated in the second half, owing in large part to Rosario.

Evann Guessand – 5

His otherwise flawless performance was marred by a missed penalty in the second half. Guessand’s performances are frequently marred by his failure to capitalize on opportunities. It is still his sole genuine vulnerability, but it is an obvious one.

Youssoufa Moukoko – 3

Badredine Bouanani – 4

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk