Nice to the four as Lille dip continues

  OGC Nice 2-0 LOSC 

THE MATCH
Though the hosts’ recent form was better, Lille, who had failed to win any of their last three competitive outings, had designs on returning to second place after seeing both Olympique Lyonnais and Montpellier Hérault SC move ahead of them in the top-flight pecking order earlier in the weekend.

But for a Malang Sarr interception, Nicolas Pepe might have added to his eight-goal haul this season (6′) while Jonathan Ikoné should have done better than fire wastefully over after a delicate first touch (8′).

The visitors, who had not beaten Nice since May 2012, pressed on and Lille-born Adrien Tameze’s timely challenge after Pepe had broken clear looked only like he was delaying the inevitable (11′).

It was when a Lille attack broke down that Nice capitalised, however. Mario Balotelli might not have scored a league goal for the club this season, but his well weighted through ball allowed Wylan Cyprien to lift a shot past Mike Maignan for the opening goal (25′).

Deserved

Less than 60 seconds later, Allan Saint-Maximin burst past two defenders before delivering a vicious drive goalwards that Maignan punched clear (26′).

Had Balotelli been able to reach a Christophe Jallet cross, he might have opened his 2018/19 account (36′), but the ball agonisingly flew over the former Manchester City and Liverpool forward’s head.

While Lille pushed after the break, they were never able to fully stretch a Nice back five that had kept a clean sheet in each of its last three league outings.

Saint-Maximin deservedly capped a fine display with his team’s second, albeit thanks in large part to a big deflection off Yves Dabila (79′), and then fired another shot just wide (86′) as Nice moved to within four points of second.

THE PLAYER: Allan Saint-Maximin
His absence had been felt in the Week 13 win at Nîmes, just as his return to the starting line-up was here. A third goal of the season — quite a contribution to a side that has found the net just 12 times all campaign — was just desserts for a fine display.

THE STAT: 4
Nice have kept four successive clean sheets in Ligue 1 Conforama for the first time since 2010.

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