Nice and Nantes share spoils

Nice recorded their second goalless draw in a row as they claimed a point from their Ligue 1 clash against Nantes at the Allianz Riviera.Claude Puel's men extended their unbeaten streak to five games but they failed to make a mark on the table as they remain eighth, level on 33 points with their ninth-placed opponents and seven behind the top four.It was the visitors who forged the first opening as early as the third minute when Alejandro Bedoya played a one-two with Chaker Alhadhur before firing a low shot at goal but Mouez Hassan got down well at the right post to save.Nice had started the game slowly until, on 20 minutes, Souleymane Diawara pounced on a clearance to the edge of the area but his powerful shot failed to find the Nantes goal.That sprung the game into life and Remy Riou was finally called into action in the visitors' goal when Eric Bautheac picked out Valentin Eysseric at the penalty spot, but his header failed to beat the Nantes stopper.Chasing a fourth league win in five, Nice continued to press and only a goal-line clearance from Issa Cissokho prevented Niklas Hult from opening the scoring after Romain Genevois picked him out.Shortly before the break Puel's side did manage to get the ball past Riou when Carlos Eduardo headed Alassane Plea's delivery beyond the stranded keeper, but the linesman's flag ensured the scores remained level at the break.The Nice tide continued after the restart and, in particular, the lively Bautheac continued to cause problems but - after his meaningful run into the area eventually gifted Eysseric with a shooting chance - his fizzing shot only managed to flirt with the outside of the left upright.Puel brought on Bryan Constant and Alexys Bosetti in an effort to bring added impetus to their attack and the latter went close almost immediately when the busy Bautheac teed him up but the effort was too close to Riou.Nantes had a rare chance to steal all three points late on but Jordan Veretout's curling free-kick cleared the far corner and both sides were made to settle for just a point.