On 4 February, one of the matches of the 20th round of the French football championship took place. Brest (France) and Nice (France) met.
French Championship, 20th round
Brest (France) - Nice (France) - 0:0 (0:0)
Warnings: Pierre Lis Melou (44), M. Kamara (54), Y. Ndayishimiye (75), Brendan Chardonnay (75).
At Stade Francis-Le Blais, Stade Brestois 29 and Nice played out a goalless draw in a Ligue 1 match. Both teams failed to score a single goal, leading to disappointment for both sides. The match started with anticipation as both teams were keen to get a much-needed win. However, neither team managed to break the deadlock in the first half and the score became 0-0 at half-time. In the second half, tensions mounted, with both teams aiming for the elusive goal. In the 44th minute, Stade Brestois 29 player P. Lis-Meloux received a yellow card, signalling the physicality of the match. A few minutes later, Stade Brestois 29's M. Camara was also in the referee's book, receiving a yellow card in the 54th minute. In an attempt to shake things up, both teams made substitutions in the 63rd minute. J. Laborde came on in place of M. Cho, while J. Lotomba replaced V. Rosier. In response, Stade Brestois 29 introduced M. Pereira Lage in place of S. Mooney. The match continued to be edgy and in the 75th minute the referee showed a few more yellow cards.
Y. Ndayishimiye of Nice and B. Chardonnay of Stade Brestois 29 received warnings for their actions. In the 76th minute, Stade Brestois 29 made a second substitution, replacing M. Camara with J. Martin. Martin. The tactical change seemed to revitalise the match, but neither team could find the turning point. As time ticked away, both teams made one more substitution each to freshen up their line-ups. In the 79th minute, Nice released M. Bard in place of R. Perrault, hoping for a late win. Stade Brestois 29 responded by replacing M. Satriano with A. Camblan in the 83rd minute. Despite the increased intensity and late substitutions, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Both teams would certainly have liked to do better, but they would have to settle for a draw. Overall, it was a hard fought match between Stade Brestois 29 and Nice. The defensive actions of both teams were commendable, resulting in a match with limited goalscoring chances. While a draw may not be the desired result for either team, it emphasises the competitive nature of Ligue 1 and the unpredictability of football.
In the next round of fixtures the following matches await the rivals: Clermont vs Brest, Nice vs Monaco.
| Brest | Nice | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kicks to the goal | 1 |
| 16 | Kicks | 12 |
| 8 | Blocked shots | 7 |
| 6 | Penalty kicks | 9 |
| 10 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 3 |
| 11 | Offences | 12 |
| 3 | Corner | 4 |
| 1 | Offsides | 3 |
| 53% | Ball possession | 47% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 1 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 481 | Total assists | 425 |
| 395 | Accurate assists | 345 |
| 82% | Accuracy of passes | 81% |