In a high-stakes Ligue 1 showdown that had relegation written all over it, AJ Auxerre delivered a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat to OGC Nice, dropping Les Aiglons into the relegation playoff spot with just one game remaining. With only three points separating these two sides before kickoff, the match at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps was nothing short of a survival thriller.
Nice came out firing, breaking the deadlock in the 9th minute. Jonathan Clauss threaded a perfect pass to Mohamed-Ali Cho, whose shot was blocked but fell kindly for Sofiane Diop to slot home into an open net. It was a dream start for the visitors, who had made a habit of late comebacks in recent weeks.
But Auxerre refused to buckle. After the early setback, they seized control of possession, pressing high and forcing Nice into a defensive shell. The turning point came when Melvin Bard's throw-in to Hicham Boudaoui was intercepted, allowing Sékou Mara to release Danny Namaso down the right. His cross was only partially cleared by Antoine Mendy, and Mara pounced to tuck a precise shot into the bottom-left corner, leveling the score before halftime.
The second half saw Nice push for a winner. Cho forced a sharp save from Donovan Léon, and Clauss found Diop at the near post, but the winger couldn't steer his shot on target. Moments later, Diop's free kick found Juma Bah, who headed past Léon—only for the offside flag to cut short any celebration.
Then came the dagger. Auxerre's Lassine Sinayoko danced past defenders with quick feet before squeezing a shot through a tight gap between Yehvann Diouf and the post. The goal sent the home crowd into delirium and flipped the relegation playoff spot from Auxerre to Nice.
For Nice, the script had flipped. They had grown accustomed to snatching late draws in recent matches, but this time, the comeback never came. With one game left on the calendar, Le Gym now face a must-win situation to avoid the drop. Meanwhile, Auxerre have given themselves a fighting chance to survive—and they did it when it mattered most.