Ligue 1 round-up: Nice beat Saint-Etienne to maintain lead at top
Sunday 20 November 2016 22:23, UK
A solitary Valentin Eysseric goal helped Nice maintain their three-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table thanks to a slender 1-0 win at Saint-Etienne on Sunday.
The hosts had an early opportunity after Nice squandered possession in midfield but, after Nolan Roux escaped into the area, his stinging effort ended up in the side-netting.
In the game's first controversial moment, Les Verts had a penalty shout turned down when Brazilian defender Dante appeared to handle inside the area, but the referee waved the claims away.
Visiting keeper Yoan Cardinale made his first significant stop on 33 minutes when Roux's header from Henri Saivet's delivery threatened to nestle in the goal but the score remained goalless as both teams left for the interval.
Just after the hour mark Nice made the all-important breakthrough when Veretout's wasteful play gifted Eyserric possession on the edge of the area and, after cleverly taking the ball beyond Loic Perrin, he dispatched an unstoppable effort beyond Ruffier.
Not satisfied with just the one, Lucien Favre's side continued to press for a second as Alassane Plea twice saw efforts from inside the area end up just the wrong side of a beaten Ruffier's post but, in the end, Eysseric's solitary strike proved the difference.
Younes Belhand almost rounded things off deep into added time but his superb lob from distance was pushed over his own bar by St Etienne's experienced stopper, Ruffier.
Rolando's goal nine minutes from time helped Marseille to a 1-0 win over Caen. The Portugal defender was left unmarked in the box to nod in a cross from Bafetimbi Gomis on the left, with Caen paying the price for not clearing a corner.
It was due reward for Marseille in a clash which offered little by way of excitement. The home side dominated possession and chances - albeit only having four to Caen's one - with Rolando the difference.
Jimmy Briand earned high-flying Guingamp a point as his injury-time goal got them a 1-1 draw at home to Bordeaux. Briand was on the spot to tuck in Lucas Deaux's cross three minutes into added time.
Bordeaux only had themselves to blame for not taking all three points. They led through Igor Lewczuk's 22nd-minute header, but wasted a golden chance to double their lead when Jeremy Menez failed to beat Karl-Johan Johnsson with a 78th-minute penalty.
