Nice secure stunning victory over Ligue 1 challenger Lyon
French domestic football got back under way seven days after the Paris terror attacks as Nice secured a surprise 3-0 victory over Lyon.
Security was increased in the aftermath of the atrocity -- during which the Stade de France was targeted -- which left 130 people dead in the capital. There were no away fans present at this Ligue 1 fixture as a further security measure to witness the second-placed visitors fail to close the 10-point gap on leaders Paris St Germain.
Lyon would have taken the lead after just three minutes but for a glaring miss from Claudio Beauvue. After Maxime Le Marchand gave the ball away inside his own half, Jordan Ferri rolled the ball across the penalty area to the unmarked Beauvue who blazed over from 10 yards out.
Beauvue then fired another effort wide before setting up strike partner Alexandre Lacazette, whose low curling effort beat home goalkeeper Mouez Hassen but came back off the foot of the post.
But against the run of play Nice took the lead in the 20th minute. Valere Germain controlled Jean Seri's pass with a superb first touch before lifting the ball over the advancing Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopez. Seri should have doubled Nice's lead but toe-poked his shot wide five minutes before the interval.
But three minutes into the second half they were two ahead after Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa turned the ball into his own net. And Lyon's misery was complete 12 minutes from time when Jeremy Pied teed up Vincent Koziello to rifle home and fire Nice up to third.