Nice Falls to Freiburg's Dominant Display in UEL

Freiburg takes giant step towards knockout rounds with 3-1 victory

Nice suffers 3-1 defeat to Freiburg in UEL, with Freiburg's strong performance putting them in a commanding position.

 “They defend with great discipline as a unit. It is difficult to create chances against them...”

Freiburg has secured a dominant 3-1 victory over Nice in the UEFA Europa League, moving them up to second place in the standings. This impressive win has put them one foot in the knockout rounds, with their next match against Viktoria Plzen on November 27.

OGC Nice, who had lost their previous three UEL matches, were desperate for a win but struggled against Freiburg's strong performance. The hosts took the lead through Kevin Carlos, but Freiburg fought back with goals from Johan Manzambi, Vincenzo Grifo, and Derry Scherhant, securing their third win in four European matches this season.

Freiburg's victory was fueled by their strong team performance, with players like Yuito Suzuki and Vincenzo Grifo leading the charge. Coach Julian Schuster praised his team's discipline and adaptability, saying, “They defend with great discipline as a unit. It is difficult to create chances against them.” Freiburg's next challenge is their Bundesliga match against FC St. Pauli on November 9.

Kevin Carlos scored a goal in the UEFA Europa League match between OGC Nice and SC Freiburg. He ran onto Charles Vanhoutte's through ball and fired past Noah Atubolu into the far corner, securing his second goal in the UEL.

The early goal seemed to spark Freiburg into action, and they took control of the game before halftime. They equalized shortly before the 30-minute mark when Yuito Suzuki capitalized on Nice captain Melvin Bard's loose touch, squaring the ball to Johan Manzambi, who scored his first goal in European competition.

It was a disappointing first half for Bard's team, with a crucial mistake gifting Freiburg an opportunity to turn the game around. Vincenzo Grifo capitalized on the chance, scoring from the spot and sending Yehvann Diouf the wrong way.

Freiburg dreht das Spiel und bleibt in der Europa League weiterhin ungeschlagen! 🔥#SkySport #UEL #EuropaLeague #Freiburg pic.twitter.com/T7QchaeuVC

— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) November 6, 2025

Freiburg wasn't done yet, and they pushed for a third goal before halftime. Scherhant scored, with Juma Bah's deflection proving crucial, giving Julian Schuster's team a two-goal lead going into the break.

The Nice stadium had two empty sections due to a pyrotechnics incident from their previous UEL match against Roma, and the home side definitely felt the absence of the extra support. Post-break, Nice pushed harder for a goal, but their attempts were limited, with Salis Abdul Samed's shot over the bar being their main threat initially.

Freiburg, meanwhile, focused on counter-attacks, and if they had been more precise in the final third, they would've had an even bigger lead to defend.

Nice pushed hard for a comeback, but Freiburg's defense held strong, and they couldn't break through. Freiburg's victory puts them in a great position, with 10 points and a spot in the top eight, giving them a strong chance of qualifying directly for the last 16.

Nice's situation is dire, and they're now on the brink of elimination from the Europa League. Their only hope is to win at Porto in their next match to keep their European campaign alive.