Balotelli fires Nice top of Ligue 1
Former Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli's French renaissance continues after his two-goal haul sent OGC Nice to the top of Ligue 1 with a 2-1 win over Dijon on Monday (AEDT).
Balotelli broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, dispatching a penalty after Plea was fouled by Abdelhamid in the box.
Nice's lead was short-lived after another penalty was awarded five minutes later, this time to the visitor and Tavares calmly stepped up and put his side back in the contest.
Balotelli doubled his account and put Nice back in the lead in the 50th minute, getting on the end of Souquet's cross and beating Reynet from close range.
Any hopes of a Dijon comeback were dashed after Cedric Varrault picked up a second yellow card for dissent in the 88th minute.
The win over Dijon sends Nice seven points clear of PSG at the top of Ligue 1.
Meanwhile, ten-man Monaco suffered a damaging 3-1 defeat to Lyon on Monday (AEDT) that hands Ligue 1 leader Nice a real boost in the title race.
Rachid Ghezzal, Mathieu Valbuena and Alexandre Lacazette - who also missed a penalty - scored the goals to end Monaco's seven-game winning run at home in the league and saw Nice stay four points clear after their win over Dijon.
Tiemoue Bakayoko bagged a consolation for the home side at Stade Louis II, which had four players booked and Benjamin Mendy sent off in an ill-tempered match that saw some controversial moments.
Ghezzal fired in the opener just before the half-hour mark and Mendy's kick on Corentin Tolisso earned him a straight red card to give Monaco a real mountain to climb before the break.
Leonardo Jardim's side was furious not to be awarded a penalty shortly after half-time when Valere Germain's effort struck the hand of Lucas Tousart on the line and its frustrations grew when Lacazette won a spot-kick for the visitor after Fabinho's foul.
Danijel Subasic saved the striker's tame effort from 12 yards but their hopes of a comeback were short-lived, with Valbuena steering in Ghezzal's cross on 65 minutes to double Lyon's lead.
Jemerson saw a headed goal ruled out for offside before Bakayoko did give Monaco a lifeline with a deflected drive following some good interplay between Thomas Lemar and Nabil Dirar.
But Lacazette chested down and smashed home after Subasic beat a corner into his path to secure the victory for Lyon and move it to within five points of champion Paris Saint-Germain, which sits third.
