Nîmes Olympique: first non-relegation at mid-season, the Crocodiles are very, very far from the mark

Tied on points with the first relegation-prone team (Versailles), the Crocos missed their first leg. The proof is in figures.

Consistent in mediocrity. The difficult seasons follow one another and are similar. Last year, halfway through the championship, Nîmes Olympique occupied 15th place in the National with 16 points.

This year, at the end of the first leg, it is in… 15th position with 15 points in its bag (one less match played, 17 clubs instead of 18).

Fifteen points, the same number as Versailles, the first team to be relegated… The numerical results, therefore, are not good at all.

No away wins

16. This is the number of points collected in sixteen matches, or only 0.94 per match. Nîmes' record: 3 wins, 6 draws, 7 losses.

15. This is the number of points dropped at home (10th best record in the National) where the Crocos have only claimed victory three times (3 draws, 3 losses).

0. Nîmes has not won a single away match (4 losses, 3 draws). This is the only team in this case, with the bottom team Châteauroux.

6. This is the number of times that Nîmes opened the scoring (5 times at the Antonins) for a record of 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat.

0.69 goals per match

11.This is the small number of goals scored (9 at home, 2 away, 0.69 per match). Nîmes, which has the worst attack in the Championship, has remained silent on seven occasions, including five away. Record when the Crocos don't score: 4 defeats, 3 draws.

5. This is the number of Crocos who found the back of the net: Abdeldjelil (6), Camara (2), Ali Abdallah (1), Picouleau (1), Marcel (1).

4. This is the number of Nîmes players who managed one or more assists: Bouaoune (4), Sbaï (1), Marcel (1) and Beneddine (1).

17. This is the number of goals conceded (6th record, tied with Rouen and Bourg-Péronnas). Nîmes has kept its goal clean six times (including 4 times at home) for a record of 3 wins and 3 draws.

Uncertainties before Châteauroux

“We have nothing for us”, Adil Hermach lamented on Wednesday January 22, two days before the trip to Châteauroux. For this crucial match against the red lantern, he will certainly be deprived of Formose Mendy (family reasons) and Salim Akkal.

The latter was injured left knee (hyperextension) at the beginning of the week, returning to the locker room on crutches. “More fear than harm”, said the crocodile coach two days later, but the defensive midfielder, who has to undergo tests, was still limping low on Wednesday. It is not at all certain that he will be able to return to the field this Thursday, as his coach had hoped.

Jonathan Mexique, who received a blow to the shin on Saturday in Aubagne, was ménageé. "The pain comes and goes", sighs Adil Hermach.

Finally, after receiving a blow to the heel, Mathis Picouleau cut short his session on Wednesday morning.

Marawane Khalid, for his part, was not present at La Bastide, excusedé "for personal reasons", explained the Nîmes technician.

62.5% of goals conceded from set pieces

4. This is the number of times Nîmes hit the woodwork and were similarly saved by their posts.

– 6. This is the negative goal average of the Crocos, the second worst in the National.

6. Nîmes conceded 6 goals in the last quarter of an hour or added time (4+2) or a little over 35% of the total. It is in the second half that NO is the most vulnerable with 11 goals conceded out of 17 (almost 65% of the total).

62.5. This is the percentage of goals conceded from set pieces (10/17): 4 from penalties, 2 from free kicks, 4 from corners.

4. Nîmes scored four goals from set pieces: 3 from penalties and 1 from corners.

Bennedine, the most used

28.This is the number of players used in the Championship. None have played all sixteen matches (1,440 minutes). The most used: Beneddine (1,291’), Mendy (1,260’), Ngapandouetnbu (1,170’), Mexique (1,168’), Picouleau (1,147’), Abdeldjelil (1,139’), Marcel (948’), Diouf (922’), Doukansy (885’), Labonne (855’) Camara (825’), Ali Abdallah (715’), Bouaoune (652’), Akkal (629’), Paviot (540’).

4. This is the number of penalties conceded (1 to Antonins, 3 away), all converted. Nîmes obtained three (3+0), all successful.

47. This is the number of cards received (45 yellow, 2 red). Last in the fair play ranking, NO finished only one match without a warning (Châteauroux, 2nd day). The most informed: Mendy (7), Diouf (6), Beneddine and Marcel (5).

3. This is the number of players who were sent off against Nîmes.

1,503. This is the average number of spectators at the Antonins. A total of 13,530 attended the nine matches.

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