OGC Nice maintained their challenge for a top-three finish in Ligue 1 as Hatem Ben Arfa scored another brilliant goal in a 4-1 thrashing of Stade Rennais on Sunday to lift the visitors to fifth.
Former Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Mathieu Bodmer opened the scoring in Brittany on 14 minutes for Nice, who are now four points behind second-placed Angers SCO, with a game in hand.
With the match still in the balance on 53 minutes, former Newcastle United winger Ben Arfa continued his sensational start to the season as he wove his way past two defenders before blasting into the far-left corner.
Mahamane Traore helped put the finishing touches on a fine day’s work for Claude Puel’s men when he crashed home the third Nice goal with 15 minutes left before Said Benrahma completed the rout.
The only bright spot for the Brittany side was a consolation goal in the 88th minute from Kamil Grosicki.
The in-form Ben Arfa now joins Olympique de Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi as the top flight’s top scorer on seven goals, while Nice are the division’s overall top goalscorers, with 24 from nine games.
Earlier in the day, stumbling Marseille dropped points again as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Lorient at the Stade Velodrome.
Michel’s side took the lead thanks to a Batshuayi penalty midway through the first half, but Benjamin Moukandjo leveled for the visitors before the interval.
Marseille continue to languish in 16th place in the table and are six points adrift of Lorient, with Rennes lying ninth, having lost just one of their last six outings.
Marseille took the lead in the 22nd minute when Batshuayi converted from the spot after Francois Bellugou had been penalized for handball.
However, the away side were back on level terms eight minutes prior to halftime as Nicolas Nkoulou got caught underneath a high ball and Moukandjo took advantage to score.
“The statistics are in our favor, but the result is against us,” Marseille coach Michel said. “It is like that in every match. It seems incredible because we have an average of 20 shots per game.”
“Lorient are a good team, but, in many phases of the game, we played better,” he added.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Girondins de Bordeaux were held to a 0-0 draw at home by struggling Montpellier Herault on an emotional day, as they mourned the passing of their former France international goalkeeper Dominique Dropsy, who succumbed to leukaemia earlier this month.
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