Nice 1 - 1 Le Mans: Wahi answers Bourabaa, but Nice stay stuck in first gear

Nice and Le Mans drew 1-1 at Allianz Riviera on Saturday, September 5, 2026, in Ligue 1’s third round, and the message for O. Pantaloni is clear: Nice still have work to do.

Nice had the ball, the territory and the bigger share of passes, but not enough bite. Le Mans, organised by P. Videira in a 3-1-4-2, took the early lead, protected the centre well, absorbed pressure and left the Côte d’Azur with a point that looked fully earned.

Adil Bourabaa scored for Le Mans in the 13th minute, assisted by Jean Vercruysse. Nice replied in the 44th minute through Sepe Elye Wahi, assisted by Sofiane Diop. That was the entire scoring package: two clean entries on the match sheet, one point each.

The shape of the match

Nice started in a 3-4-2-1: Y. Diouf in goal; Mohamed Abdelmonem, Y. Ndayishimiye and X. Mandza Tsiendi in the back three; J. Clauss and N. Nkounkou as the wide midfielders; D. Coulibaly and A. Witsel inside; and N. Ngoumou and S. Diop behind E. Wahi.

Le Mans lined up in a 3-1-4-2: E. Hatfout in goal; N. Boissé, Raúl Torrente and H. Voyer in defence; A. Lauray as the holding midfielder; R. Bamba, A. Bourabaa, J. Vercruysse and L. Calodat across midfield; and L. Mafouta with D. Guèye up front.

The contrast was obvious. Nice wanted control through the extra centre-back and wide lanes. Le Mans wanted protection, duels and fast access into their forward line. For long spells, Pantaloni’s side had possession but not command. There is a difference, and Nice felt it.

Bourabaa and Vercruysse set the terms

The first decisive action came in the 13th minute. Bourabaa scored, Vercruysse assisted, and Le Mans had exactly the kind of lead that gives a compact away side oxygen.

Bourabaa was more than just the scorer. His numbers tell the story: one shot on target, one goal, five duels won from six, two successful dribbles from three, two tackles and one interception. That is not decoration. That is a midfielder giving his team a platform in every phase.

Vercruysse mattered too. His assist in the 13th minute gave Le Mans the lead, and his work before being withdrawn in the 61st minute offered Videira’s side a route out of pressure. Nice had more of the ball, but Le Mans had the cleaner early punch.

Wahi gives Nice the answer

Nice needed someone to drag them back before half-time. Wahi did it.

He scored in the 44th minute, assisted by Diop, and that goal changed the mood going into the interval. Without it, Nice would have been chasing a very different match against a Le Mans side already happy to defend narrow and compete for second balls.

Wahi’s performance was forceful rather than polished: two shots, one on target, one goal, seven duels won from 12, four fouls drawn and five dribbles attempted. He was also caught offside twice and booked in the 84th minute for an argument. That summed him up: dangerous, restless, central to everything, but also on the edge.

Diop’s contribution should not be reduced to the assist alone. He produced two key passes before coming off in the 65th minute. In a Nice team that completed 471 accurate passes but produced only two shots on goal, that kind of incision mattered.

Substitutions changed the rhythm, not the result

Videira moved first with a triple change in the 61st minute: S. Yohou replaced Raúl Torrente, A. Rabillard replaced J. Vercruysse, and H. Diallo replaced D. Guèye. That was a clear signal. Le Mans were not waiting for the match to happen to them.

Pantaloni answered in the 65th minute, sending on G. Hein for N. Ngoumou and M. Amoura for S. Diop. Hein gave Nice extra craft, finishing with two key passes in 25 minutes. Amoura added a shot and won three of four duels. The idea was right. The final touch was missing.

Le Mans changed again in the 70th minute, with B. Brahimi replacing Bourabaa. Nice then made two more changes in the 73rd minute: A. Mendy came on for Witsel, and A. Abdi replaced Nkounkou. Videira made his final move in the 78th minute, with Y. Larouci replacing Calodat. Nice’s last change came in the 85th minute, when A. Camara replaced Clauss.

The bench gave both coaches fresh legs. It did not give either side a winner.

Discipline and control

The bookings came in clusters as the game tightened.

A. Lauray was shown a yellow card in the 58th minute for a foul. Y. Ndayishimiye followed in the 75th minute, also for a foul. N. Boissé was booked in the 82nd minute for a foul. Wahi then saw yellow in the 84th minute for an argument.

Le Mans committed 11 fouls to Nice’s four. That was not simply a disciplinary detail; it was part of their game management. Lauray and Bamba helped make the middle uncomfortable. Lauray finished with four interceptions, while Bamba made five tackles and won seven of his 14 duels. Nice passed around them, but rarely through them.

Match stats

Nice’s problem is in the numbers. Fifty-nine percent possession, 541 passes and only two shots on goal is not enough at home. Pantaloni’s structure gave Nice circulation, but circulation without penetration becomes sterile very quickly.

Le Mans had less of the ball but matched Nice for total shots and had more shots on goal, three to two. That is the part Videira will like most. His side did not just survive; they carried a threat.

What it means

After three rounds, Le Mans sit 13th with two points and a DLD form line. Nice are 15th, also on two points and also with a DLD form line, with only one goal scored in three league matches.

That is the issue for Nice. The table is early, but the pattern is already loud. They are unbeaten at home, with two draws from two at Allianz Riviera, yet still searching for their first league win. For a club with European ambitions, that is not the timeline the staff wanted.

Le Mans will take the point and move on with belief. Nice move on with questions. Wahi has opened his account, Diop supplied the pass that mattered, and Hein offered something from the bench. Now Pantaloni needs the next step: more shots, more pressure, more certainty. The calendar will not wait.