Girondins de Bordeaux on Friday missed the chance to go second in the Ligue 1 table after a 1-1 draw at OGC Nice.
The visitors’ veteran forward Jimmy Briand equalized from the spot in the second half after Pierre Lees-Melou scored for Bordeaux within the opening 30 minutes.
Bordeaux manager Paulo Sousa kept faith in the front three, who were crucial in last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Nantes, as in-form South Korea international Hwang Ui-jo started on the wing.
Nice manager Patrick Vieira gave attacker Adam Ounas his first appearance since late-September after he recovered from a knee injury.
Lees-Melou, who grew up near Bordeaux, picked up his second yellow card in as many games after less than eight minutes.
He made up for his earlier error by opening the scoring for the hosts after 27 minutes to claim his first goal of the campaign.
Wing-back Youcef Atal found Lees-Melou with a whipping cross and the midfielder headed it home.
Denmark’s Kasper Dolberg could have had double the home side’s advantage two minutes later, but Benoit Costil blocked the former Ajax forward’s rushed shot with his feet.
Aurelien Tchouameni had a chance to equalize for Bordeaux seven minutes from halftime, but Walter Benitez tipped his curling effort over the crossbar, leaving Nice the lead at the break.
Less than two minutes into the final 45 minutes, Bordeaux were handed a golden chance from the penalty spot after Stanley Nsoki brought down winger Francois Kamano.
Former France striker Briand stepped up to beat Benitez for the 34-year-old’s first goal in seven games.
Atal continued to threaten in wide spaces down the right wing for Vieira’s side, as Sousa replaced Kamano with English youngster Josh Maja to try and break the deadlock — but neither side could find a winner.
EDINSON CAVANI
Yesterday against Brest, Edinson Cavani was to make his first start for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) since August, after recovering from a hip injury, coach Thomas Tuchel said on Friday. “He should play... We need him to start playing.”
Cavani has been absent from the French champions’ starting lineup due to a combination of the persistent injury and the hot form of new arrival Mauro Icardi.
He has made substitute appearances in PSG’s past two Ligue 1 matches against Olympique de Marseille and at Dijon FCO, as well as their midweek Champions League win over Club Brugge.
Tuchel added that the Uruguayan, who is PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 195 goals, is “disappointed” to have slipped back in the attacking hierarchy, but is in a “good state of mind.”
The German said that he was unsure whether in-form Icardi would take part after picking up a knock to his left foot after scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory over Brugge.
The Argentine has stolen the show in recent weeks with eight goals in his past seven appearances in all competitions.
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