OGC Nice underlined their European aspirations with a goalless draw against Girondins de Bordeaux on Friday which consolidated their third place in Ligue 1.
The Riviera side, 6-1 winners at home against Bordeaux in September last year, quickly doused any hopes of revenge Willy Sagnol’s side might have had.
Lacking inspiration in front of goal, it was a disappointing result for Bordeaux who missed the chance to move to within one point of Nice.
Nice have 41 points from 27 games and are 29 points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who were scheduled to host struggling Stade de Reims yesterday, with Bordeaux sitting ninth, four points behind their visitors.
“You have to admit that Nice are a great team who are not on the foot of the podium [third] for nothing and who will be in the reckoning until the end of the season,” Sagnol said.
Without top scorer Hatem Ben Arfa, Claude Puel’s side had few early opportunities apart from a header on seven minutes by defender Paul Baysse following a free-kick by Ivorian Jean Michael Seri.
However, Nice goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale was made to work over the next half-hour with a wave of pressure from the hosts lead by Argentine midfielder Valentin Vada.
Mali forward Cheick Diabate, missed two chances either side of the break, with Bordeaux’s Ivorian striker Thomas Toure having no more success.
Bordeaux’s France international fullback Mathieu Debuchy, on loan from Arsenal, was forced off after 82 minutes with a hamstring injury.
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