UEL: Nice eliminated as Lille stumble in Bern

It was a difficult Thursday evening for Ligue 1 clubs in the UEFA Europa League, as OGC Nice were officially eliminated following a sixth consecutive defeat, while Lille’s hopes of a top-eight finish suffered a setback with a loss away to Young Boys.

Nice crash out after Braga defeat

OGC Nice’s European campaign came to an early and disappointing end at the Allianz Riviera, where a 1-0 defeat to Braga confirmed their elimination with two matches still remaining in the league phase.

Already beaten in their previous five fixtures, Franck Haise’s side required a victory to keep their qualification hopes alive. Instead, in front of a crowd of fewer than 4,000, Nice once again struggled to impose themselves. Braga dominated the opening exchanges, with Ricardo Horta and Amine El Ouazzani both going close, forcing Maxime Dupé into early saves.

The decisive moment arrived midway through the first half. A misplaced pass from Melvin Bard allowed Jean-Baptiste Gorby to recover possession, and after two quick passes, Pau Víctor was left unmarked to finish calmly.

Nice failed to respond with any real conviction. Kevin Carlos provided rare attacking impetus, narrowly missing a Tom Louchet cross and later forcing a save from Lukas Horníček via Isak Jansson, but clear chances were scarce. Unmarked at the back post, Carlos headed over from a corner, while Mohamed-Ali Cho squandered a promising opening with a poor first touch.

With just 24% possession and another defeat added to the tally, Nice’s Europa League adventure ended in fittingly subdued fashion.

Lille reduced to ten and beaten in Switzerland

Earlier in the evening, Lille fell 1-0 away to Young Boys of Bern in a match heavily influenced by a first-half red card. Bruno Génésio’s side started brightly and controlled possession in the opening stages, creating the best early chance through Olivier Giroud, who fired just wide from close range.

The turning point came on the half-hour mark. A last-man foul from Bouaddi on Virginius resulted in a red card and a penalty for the hosts. Lille survived the immediate danger as Lucas Chevalier Ozer saved Bédia’s spot-kick, but the numerical disadvantage eventually told.

Young Boys made their superiority count shortly after the hour mark, when Darian Males converted at the near post following a low cross from the right. Despite late pressure and several attacking substitutions from Génésio, Lille struggled to break down a disciplined Swiss defence.

The defeat does not eliminate Lille from the competition, but it significantly complicates their hopes of securing a direct qualification place in the top eight, leaving little margin for error in January.

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