Basel 2-2 Nice: Terem Moffi overhead kick earns French side first-leg draw

Zeki Amdouni and Terem Moffi both scored twice as Basel and Nice drew 2-2 in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg.

Match in brief: Basel frustrated by clinical visitors

Zeki Amdouni opened the scoring from the penalty spotAFP via Getty Images

Basel enjoyed the better start and put their visitors on the back foot early on. Their pressure took its toll shortly before the half-hour when Dan Ndoye's pace took him clear of the Nice defence as he latched on to a long ball forward, only to be felled inside the box by Jean-Clair Todibo. Zeki Amdouni coolly converted the resultant penalty for his fourth goal in this season's competition.

Nice gradually grew into the game and equalised when Moffi was on hand to stroke in the rebound after Gaëtan Laborde's close-range effort had been blocked. The same duo were involved again when the French side took the lead on the stroke of half-time, Laborde crossing from the left for Moffi to score with a superb overhead kick.

Momentum was very much with Nice at that point but Basel continued to chip away at the visiting rearguard in the second half and levelled matters once again when Amdouni headed in Michael Lang's precise cross from the right.

There were further chances at either end as both teams sought a winner to take an advantage. Laborde was twice denied by fine saves from Marwin Hitz, while at the other end Kasper Schmeichel thwarted Ndoye in stoppage time to keep the tie on a knife edge ahead of next week's decisive meeting.

Andy Smith, match reporter

Honours even at St. Jakob-Park after a thoroughly entertaining encounter. Basel had the better of the first half, forging ahead through an Amdouni penalty, but Moffi's magic put Nice in the driving seat before half-time. Amdouni then struck again midway through the second half to ensure the tie is finely poised before next week's return leg in France.

Reaction 

Moffi struck twice to keep Nice's hopes of progression aliveAFP via Getty Images

Michael Lang, Basel defender: "It was a very good performance. We were dominant against a Nice team with lots of talented players. My feeling is that we would have deserved to win, so I'm not entirely happy with the result, but our performance can give us cause for optimism."

Terem Moffi, Nice forward: "The second goal was special moment for myself and for the team. Goals like this don't come often. To be honest it's not something you plan, it just happens. I saw Erling Haaland do it last weekend, so I said 'Why not?'"

Amdouni scored his fourth and fifth goals of the seasonAFP via Getty Images

Key stats

• Admouni now has five goals in eight Europa Conference League games this season.
• Basel have scored two or more goals in seven of their last eight UEFA Europa Conference League matches.
• The Swiss side have lost only three of their last 23 European home games (W17 D3).
• Nice are unbeaten in eight away fixtures in all competitions (W4 D4).
• The French club have lost only one of their last ten European matches (W5 D4).

Line-ups

Basel: Hitz; Lang, Nuhu, Pelmard; Ndoye, Diouf, Xhaka, Burger, López; Amdouni (Millar 89), Zeqiri (Fink 67)

Nice: Schmeichel; Rosario (Mendy 84), Todibo, Dante, Amraoui (Bard 46); Ramsey, Ndayishimiye, Boudaoui; Laborde, Moffi (Brahimi 84), Thuram