Lille fight back to draw
Last Updated: August 25, 2012 8:02pm
Florent Balmont rides the challenge of Camel Meriem
Lille had to come from behind to claim a point in a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Nice.
The visitors led through Dimitri Payet 10 minutes before half-time but Nice quickly levelled through Nemanja Pejcinovic and then snatched the lead when Eric Bautheac volleyed home early in the second half.
Lille needed Djibril Sidibe's equaliser before the hour mark to take a point and finished the game on the back foot.
Les Dogues began brightly and had a series of chances in the opening 10 minutes.
Idrissa Gueye made excellent contact on Nolan Roux's early cross but Joris Delle made the save.
Moments later, Payet crossed for Roux to volley goalwards but the shot went inches wide.
Payet then struck from the edge of the area but Delle made the save.
However, it was Les Aiglons who had the best of the early chances when Alexy Bosetti beat the offside trap to go clean through, only to be denied by a fabulous reflex save from Mickael Landreau.
The Lille goalkeeper made another fine save moments later to keep out a diving header from Franck Dja Djedje.
The breakthrough came for Lille 10 minutes before the break, with Florent Balmont snatching possession and freeing Payet to lash past Delle.
Nice levelled just seven minutes later, with Pejcinovic on hand at the far post to turn in Didier Digard's free-kick.
The hosts took the lead nine minutes into the second half when Camel Meriem and Bosetti combined to set up Bautheac and he volleyed into the top corner.
However, the lead last just four minutes this time, with Sidibe beating one man before firing past Delle from an angle.
It was Nice who finished the stronger, with Renato Civelli testing Landreau with a fine header before the goalkeeper made a great reflex save to keep out Bautheac's free-kick.
Matches
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French Ligue 1
Table
French Ligue 1
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris St Germain | 37 | 80 |
| 2 | Marseille | 37 | 70 |
| 3 | Lyon | 37 | 64 |
| 4 | St Etienne | 37 | 62 |
| 5 | Lille | 37 | 61 |
| 6 | Nice | 37 | 61 |
| 7 | Lorient | 37 | 53 |
| 8 | Bordeaux | 37 | 52 |
| 9 | Montpellier | 37 | 52 |
| 10 | Toulouse | 37 | 48 |
| 11 | Rennes | 37 | 46 |
| 12 | Bastia | 37 | 46 |
| 13 | Valenciennes | 37 | 45 |
| 14 | Reims | 37 | 42 |
| 15 | Evian Thonon Gaillar | 37 | 40 |
| 16 | AC Ajaccio | 37 | 40 |
| 17 | Sochaux | 37 | 40 |
| 18 | Troyes | 37 | 37 |
| 19 | Nancy | 37 | 35 |
| 20 | Brest | 37 | 29 |
