- Lloyd Palun - 90'+3'
- Hilton - 72'
Nice 1-1 Montpellier
Nice claimed a dramatic equaliser right at the death to salvage a 1-1 draw from their home clash with Montpellier at the Allianz Riviera.Montpellier had looked on course for their fifth win of the season when Hilton put them ahead in the 72nd minute, but there was to be a late twist in the tale as Nice levelled things up four minutes into stoppage time.Lloyd Palun was the home side's hero, heading the ball home during a goalmouth scramble that saw all 22 players in the Montpellier area.That goal denied Montpellier - whose coach Rolland Courbis was taken to hospital in midweek with a suspected heart attack - a spot in the top three, but they do climb to fifth on 14 points, three places ahead of Nice on goal difference.Nice had won their last two matches, including seeing off last season's runners-up Monaco away from home last Saturday, and it was little surprise to see them start well here.They threatened first in the 13th minute with a 20-yard effort from Alassane Plea that Geoffrey Jourdren awkwardly parried away in the Montpellier goal, then two minutes later Carlos Eduardo's curling free-kick flew just inches wide.The visitors responded with an effort from Souleymane Camara that narrowly cleared the crossbar before Nice were back on the attack on the half-hour mark, Alexy Bosetti nearly beating Jourdren with a clever lob from the edge of the area.Bosetti came even closer at the start of the second half when his thunderbolt smashed against the crossbar.Nice could not make their opportunities count though, and Montpellier made them pay 18 minutes from time.Nice goalkeeper Mouez Hassen had already done well to deny Camara earlier in the half but he was left helpless as Hilton opened the scoring with a shot inside the near post following a Siaka Tiene corner.The visitors nearly doubled their lead two minutes later from a Tiene free-kick, but Hassen saved on that occasion to keep his side in it and that proved crucial as Nice levelled in stoppage time,Valentin Eysseric's corner caused havoc in the box and, after a huge melee, Palun got his head on the ball to turn in the equaliser.
Game Information
French Ligue 1 Standings
Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paris Saint-Germain | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | +23 | 29 |
AS Monaco | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | +10 | 23 |
Marseille | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | +9 | 20 |
Lille | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +7 | 19 |
Lyon | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | +3 | 18 |
Nice | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | +10 | 17 |
Stade de Reims | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | +4 | 17 |
Lens | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 17 |
AJ Auxerre | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | +1 | 16 |
Toulouse | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | +2 | 15 |
Strasbourg | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | -2 | 13 |
Brest | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 13 |
Stade Rennais | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | -5 | 11 |
Nantes | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -3 | 10 |
Angers | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -7 | 10 |
Saint-Etienne | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | -15 | 10 |
Le Havre AC | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | -15 | 9 |
Montpellier | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | -20 | 7 |