Nice’s dress rehearsal for the start of the European tour was a success. The team from the Cote d’Azur celebrated a landslide victory against St. Etienne. Youssoufa Moukoko also played a part in this.
The striker, who is on loan from Borussia Dortmund to Nice, started for the first time in the southern French side’s starting eleven on Friday evening and scored twice in his 62 minutes of play. Moukoko scored in the 26th and 39th minute – his second goal marked the remarkable half-time score of 6:0.
The U-21 national striker of the DFB also added another goal to the 120th club birthday, so that his first appearance in the starting lineup of coach Franck Haise can be described as quite successful. Ligue 1 returnees St. Etienne were outclassed in every respect that evening – for the first time since 2000, a team in the French top flight had conceded or scored half a dozen goals in the first 45 minutes.
“This 120th anniversary celebration will be remembered, including by me, because games with such results don’t happen often, if at all,” said Haise, who was highly satisfied with his team’s performance. The defense around the now 40-year-old former Bundesliga player Dante was almost idle.
For Nice, it was the second win in five games this season, and on Wednesday the team will start the Europa League against Real Sociedad. They will then face Lazio Roma, Ferencvaros Budapest, Twente Enschede, Glasgow Rangers, Union Saint-Gilloise, Elfsborg Boras and Bodö/Glimt until the end of January.