OGC Nice, winner in Rennes on Sunday (2-1), took place on the Ligue 1 podium just behind the Bretons during the 18th day, marked by the insipid draw between Lille and Lyon (0-0) , still behind in the race for Europe.
Rennes, a Ligue 1 team for several weeks, dreamed of widening the gap on its pursuers in the fight for the podium behind Paris SG.
But the Bretons (2nd, 31 pts) gave in at home and here is Nice (3rd, 30 pts) in ambush, a length of the Rouge et Noir.
After three defeats in five matches, Christophe Galtier's men offer themselves the scalp of another champion of the Championship, after the victories in front of Lyon and Lille and the draw in Paris.
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Ligue 1 fixtures and results
League 1 standings
The Niçois made the difference in the first half thanks to a penalty from Kasper Dolberg and a goal from Youcef Atal at the start of the second half, enough to resist the equalizer from Benjamin Bourigeaud and a lot of pressure from Rennes at the end of the match. Nice now distance Montpellier (5th, 28 pts), winner 4-0 in Brest on Saturday, and Lens (6th, 27 pts), beaten in Nantes on Friday (3-2). But his place on the podium is threatened by Marseille (4th, 29 pts), traveling to Strasbourg (5:05 p.m.) before the reception of Monaco (8th, 26 pts) by the Parisian leader in the evening (8:45 p.m.).
The fight for maintenance remains tight, after the tenth defeat on Saturday of the red lantern Saint-Etienne in Reims (2-0).
Troyes (17th, 16 pts) also suffered a 10th setback, at home against Bordeaux (2-1), which climbs back to 15th place (17 pts).
Between the two teams slipped Clermont, which obtained in Angers (1-0) its first victory since October 16.
Well helped by a magical free kick from the Algerian Farid Boulaya, the Mosellans of Metz (15 pts) signed their biggest success of the season, against Lorient (4-1), an important victory which allows them to overtake the Hake in the relegation zone, with the goal difference.
They suffer a 7th defeat in a row, the worst series in L1 currently.
