Nice vs. Le Mans

It was Les Aiglons' third maximum haul in four Ligue 1 games, secured with a 40th minute goal from Ismaël Gace. Le Mans had defender Geder sent off early on for an elbow on Mamadou Bagayoko and remain in the relegation zone.

Nice were chasing a third win in four games to lift their heads firmly above the relegation zone. Their cause was helped when Le Mans' Brazilian defender Geder was sent off for an elbow on Mamadou Bagayoko inside the opening 20 minutes.

Despite their numerical disadvantage Le Mans pressed forward and giant Norwegian striker Thorstein Helstad was denied by Nice's young Colombian international goalkeeper David Ospina. At the other end, Nice's former Lyon attacker Anthony Mounier had a header blocked on line.

The breakthrough came five minutes before half-time for Didier Ollé-Nicolle's side. Le Mans goalkeeper Didier Ovono completely missed a corner and Ismaël Gace scored with a free header. It was the 23-year-old's first Ligue 1 goal in his ninth appearance spread over three seasons.

After the break Nice were still having trouble finding the second goal that would definitively break Le Mans' resistance. Le Mans should have escaped from the Côte d'Azur with a point. In the 88th minute substitute Roland Lamah hit the bar, and somehow Helstad completely fluffed the follow-up with the goal totally at his mercy.