Nice striker Andy Delort wowed fans with a thunderbolt free kick against Saint-Etienne on Wednesday night.
The Algerian has proved himself as one of the most reliable goal scorers in the French topflight. Starting the season at Montpellier, Delort moved south to Nice in August 2021. Here, he has proved his consistency again, scoring 13 goals to add to the two that he got for Montpellier before his transfer.
As a result, Delort has hit double-figures on the scoring charts in three of his last four Ligue 1 campaigns – a testament to his eye in front of goal. This is a far cry from the form that caused critics to label the Algerian a “flop” at Wigan.
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A doomed spell in England
The Latics signed Andy Delort following a Golden Boot-winning Ligue 2 campaign with FC Tours in 2013/14. The Algerian scored 24 goals in that season and provided an impressive eight assists.
However, his prolific nature did not cross the English Channel with him. In 11 Championship appearances, Delort failed to make an impact.
This prompted Wigan to ship him back across to the French second division. He stayed on loan at Tours for the rest of 2014/15, before the Lancashire side sold him to SM Caen.
He subsequently had a stint at Tigres UANL in Mexico, followed by transfers to numerous French sides. Eventually, Delort established himself as a talented striker at Montpellier. Fast forward to today, where the skills of Andy Delort have been vital for Nice in their pursuit of European football.
Andy Delort scores twice in Nice win
Nice came back from 2-0 down against strugglers Saint-Etienne to win 4-2 last night. Behind at the break, the side from the south of France soon turned around the deficit.
Andy Delort scored twice and got an assist for ‘Les Aiglons’. His second goal of the night was an easy finish following a Justin Kluivert pass. However, Delort’s first strike was the one that garnered all the attention.
After his side won a free kick about 25 yards out, the Algerian stepped up unopposed to take on the shot. Delort unleashed an absolute rocket, where the ball’s power, swerve and movement was too much for the keeper to handle as it flashed into the net.
Fans on Twitter were taken aback by the sheer power of the stunning goal. However, Delort’s former Wigan teammate Jordan Flores hinted that this is a skill that the Algerian has had for years.
“I remember him showing me his free kick technique at Christopher Park,” reminisced Flores. “Couldn’t get over how hard he hit a ball!”
The goal helped Nice remain in fourth place, which in Ligue 1 would mean a spot in next season’s Europa League.
Featured Image Credit: BT Sport
