While a top-four place was on the line, Nice showed no signs of nerves as they stormed into a two-goal lead inside the opening 20 minutes, shortly after Gaetan Laborde struck the woodwork to demonstrate the home side’s intent.
Evann Guessand was ultimately the man to open the scoring, neatly evading a sliding challenge before jolting past another defender to drive a low shot past Marco Bizot.
Buoyed by his 12th league goal of the season, Guessand quickly turned provider to guide Melvin Bard’s deep delivery back across goal for Laborde to tuck home.
Brest’s nightmare start continued when the referee pointed to the spot following Bradley Locko’s clumsy challenge on Badredine Bouanani.
The 20-year-old swiftly picked himself to drill the penalty into the opposite corner of Bizot’s dive, effectively securing UCL qualification before the game had even reached the half-hour mark.
Bouanani threatened to add to his and Nice’s tally in the opening stages of the second period as Brest continued to struggle defensively.
The attacker forced Bizot to make an exceptional stop with his left hand, just moments before he dragged an effort wide of the goalkeeper’s left post. Franck Haise’s changes continued to carve open the visitors at will, so it was only a matter of time before a deserved fourth, and then a fifth goal duly arrived.
First, former Brest loanee Laborde showcased his technical quality to volley home his second goal from Bard’s lofted cross, before Terem Moffi rounded the goalkeeper to score his first goal since returning from a serious knee injury.
There was still time left for Ali Abdi to tap home in stoppage time to complete the rout, capping off the perfect display as Nice celebrated a fourth-place finish, and their return to UCL qualifying for the first time since 2017-18, while Les Pirates have to be content with ninth following their third defeat in five away games.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Gaetan Laborde (Nice)