Nice drops to fifth in Ligue 1 after draw at Toulouse ahead of Marseille vs. Lyon
PARIS (AP) — Nice dropped to fifth place in the French league after conceding a late goal in a 1-1 draw at Toulouse on Sunday.
Gaeten Laborde put Nice ahead from the penalty spot in the 18th minute after strike partner Evann Guessand was fouled by goalkeeper Guillaume Restes.
Nice then rode its luck.
Toulouse came close midway through the second half when defender Melvin Bard cleared Aron Donnum’s shot off the line. The home side’s persistence was rewarded when defender Warren Kamanzi pounced from close range after goalie Marcin Bulka spilled a free kick.
Nice is one point behind fourth-placed Lille and three behind third-placed Monaco in the race for a Champions League spot next season.
Later Sunday, new coach Paulo Fonseca took charge of his first game for Lyon away to second-place Marseille. No away fans were allowed to attend the game due to high risk of violence between rival supporters.
Marseille needed to win to stay 10 points behind unbeaten league leader Paris Saint-Germain, which won 5-2 at Brest on a high-scoring Saturday in Ligue 1.
In Sunday’s other games it was: Angers vs. Le Havre; Reims vs. Nantes, and Rennes vs. Strasbourg. ___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer