Three and easy for Nice

Eric Bautheac scored twice in 10 minutes as Nice claimed a 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over close rivals Evian on Saturday.

Eric Bautheac scored twice in 10 minutes as Nice claimed a 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over close rivals Evian on Saturday. Cedric Mongongu had put Evian ahead in the 27th minute from the penalty spot but a quickfire second-half double by Bautheac gave Nice the edge, before Alexy Bosetti wrapped up victory with the home side's third goal in the 86th minute. The result sees Nice climb to 14th place in the overall standings, nine points clear of the bottom three, while Evian remained in 16th place. Bautheac was a thorn in Evian's side throughout the match and almost set up Christian Bruls in the second minute. The midfielder chested the ball down and launched an overhead kick, which just brushed the post on its way out of play. Bautheac then struck the post himself in the sixth minute after a counter-attack which was started by Bruls ended with the attacking midfielder on hand to follow-up Dario Cvitanich's parried shot. However, Evian were the ones to go in front when Mathieu Bodmer brought down Eric Tie Bi to concede a penalty, which Mongongu duly converted as he beat Nice keeper David Ospina by firing to the right of goal. Bautheac was again denied by stopper Bertrand Laquait six minutes before the break when Bruls raced down the left and crossed to the 26-year-old, who chested the ball down and the pulled the trigger. Evian looked to double their lead after the break and had a good chance to do so when Daniel Wass' superb shot crashed against the post in the 57th minute. However, Nice hit back themselves three minutes later through the ever dangerous Bautheac after Didier Digard released Bruls on the left and he crossed toward Bautheac at the far post for a close range left-footed shot. Bautheac added his second nine minutes later when Jeremy Pied played a great ball to the midfielder, who was again on hand at the far post to slot it past Laquait. Pied then hit the bar with a stunning strike, but Nice did not have to wait for long for their next score as Romain Genevois' long, lobbed ball found an unmarked Bosetti, who poked the ball in past Laquait to wrap up victory.