Axel Witsel has criticised Lyon’s performance after the French side defeated Nice 2-1 at the Groupama Stadium, arguing that the hosts offered little attacking threat beyond their two first-half goals.
The 37-year-old Belgian veteran captained Nice in Sunday evening’s Ligue 1 encounter but could not prevent his side from leaving Lyon empty-handed.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Witsel expressed frustration with the way Lyon approached the game, particularly after establishing their first-half advantage.
“In the first half, they had those two goals and then nothing else. The second half, I won’t even mention it,” Witsel said.
Despite his criticism of Lyon’s overall display, the result went against Nice, who were unable to recover from the hosts’ early scoring advantage.
The 2-1 victory gave Lyon three points in their pursuit of a strong Ligue 1 campaign, while Nice were left to reflect on a defeat that their captain believes did not fully reflect the balance of play.
For Witsel, the disappointment was compounded by the fact that Nice had to chase the game after conceding twice in the opening half. Although the visitors remained in contention until the final whistle, they could not turn the contest around.
The experienced Belgian, who has enjoyed a long career at the highest level of European football, will now look to help Nice respond in their next fixture as they seek to turn their performance into better results.
