Paris (AFP) – Mario Balotelli secured a first win in four games for Nice as they provisionally returned to the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-1 victory at home to Guingamp on Sunday.
Alassane Plea struck after 11 minutes to give Nice the lead at the Allianz Riviera and Jean-Michael Seri, back from Africa Cup of Nations duty with the Ivory Coast, added a second before half-time.
Jimmy Briand pulled a goal back for Guingamp on the hour but Balotelli, who was targeted with racial abuse in last week’s game at Bastia, sealed the win three minutes from time.
The victory ended a run of three straight draws for Nice who moved a point clear of Monaco at the summit. Leonardo Jardim’s men face champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes later.
“It wasn’t an easy match. We’re happy with the victory,” said Seri, who returned to the Nice line-up after the defending African champions’ premature exit in Gabon.
Nice coach Lucien Favre admitted it had been a struggle at times and insisted his side would continue to take things step by step.
“We scored three goals at key times. Guingamp didn’t have many chances but we sat back and suffered. We have to keep taking it match by match and we have a big one at Monaco next Saturday.”
Yassine Benzia punished former side Lyon with his first goals of the season to hand Lille a 2-1 win at Parc OL on Saturday.
Marseille halted a run of back-to-back defeats on Friday as Bafetimbi Gomis grabbed a hat-trick in a 5-1 demolition of Montpellier on Patrice Evra’s debut after his departure from Juventus.
The nine-time French title winners further bolstered their squad on Sunday by completing a deal to re-sign France international Dimitri Payet from West Ham for a reported £25million (29.3 million euros, $31.3 million).
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