Stalemate at Stade du Ray

The form book stayed true at the Stade du Ray as Nice and Montpellier shared four goals in a Ligue 1 clash.

The form book stayed true at the Stade du Ray as Nice and Montpellier shared four goals in a Ligue 1 clash. The two had identical won one, drawn one, lost one records before kick-off and duly ensured they remain locked together in the standings. Montpellier will perhaps be the happier, although Nice did at least get back on a positive footing after their midweek Europa League misery against Apollon Limassol. They led twice during the game, with Timothee Kolodziejczak and Valentin Eysseric having efforts cancelled out by Souleymane Camara and Siaka Tiene before Montpellier's Djamel Bakar was sent off late on. A draw was about right considering what both sides put into an entertaining affair, with the chances flowing from the fourth minute when Benjamin Stambouli's shot was kept out by David Ospina. Seventeen minutes had passed when Nice took the lead, with Kolodziejczak's smart near-post run well timed for Eric Bautheac's corner, and his neat finish did the rest. Montpellier roared back and levelled in the 32nd minute. Nice were slapdash at the back, Tiene nipped in and played Camara through and the Senegal international did the rest. But Nice were the side in front at the break, with Christian Bruls teeing up Eysseric for a well-taken second five minutes before the whistle. Montpellier would not be behind for long, though, and equalised for a second and last time seven minutes after the restart as Tiene curled a free-kick beyond Ospina. Both sides continued to pour forward and Eysseric volleyed just over while Kolodziejczak nodded away from goal. Montpellier would end with 10 men as Bakar saw yellow for a second time with seven minutes left, but Laurent Pionnier's stoppage-time save from Eric Bautheac ensured it mattered little.