Nice have secured their first win in four matches in Ligue 1, beating Lyon 3-0 at Allianz Riviera this evening.
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Nice were on the attack early on, but Valere Germain found himself offside while trying to control a Jean Seri ball forward, while Jeremy Pied was denied by Anthony Lopes while trying to turn the ball in from a Seri cross.
The visitors started to see more of the ball after the opening 15 minutes, but Alexandre Lacazette was denied by the post, while a long-range effort from Claudio Beauvue missed the target.
It was Nice who broke the deadlock on the 20-minute mark when Seri teed the ball up for Germain, who rifled the ball down the middle to beat Lopes.
Pied had a chance to double the home side's lead shortly before half time as Niklas Hult crossed the ball in, but his volley from just outside the box was saved, while Seri blasted the ball wide moments later.
Nice did add a second just a couple of minutes after the restart, though, as Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa put the ball in his own net following a misunderstanding with Lopes.
Lyon tried to cut the deficit as the hour mark approached, but Corentin Tolisso put a free kick wide, before Mathieu Valbuena saw his shot held after Jordan Ferri picked the French international out with a cross.
Despite the visitors' strong spell, Nice extended their lead further inside the final 20 minutes when Vincent Koziello picked out the top corner from close range for his second goal of the season.
Koziello was involved again a couple of minutes later, crossing the ball in for Hatem Ben Arfa, but the winger's low strike from 20 yards out was held by Lopes.
Romain Del Castillo tried to get a goal back for the visitors late on, but he was unable to find the target, while a late effort from Tolisso also went wide.
Despite the loss, Lyon remain second in the table, a point clear of Nice who climb up to third.
Sian Cowper
