PARIS — In a dramatic finish, midfielder Tom Louchet found the back of the net six minutes into stoppage time, resulting in a 2-2 draw for Nice against Lille in the French league on Sunday.
Despite Lille’s ten-game unbeaten streak, they missed an opportunity to leapfrog Marseille and capture third place, remaining in fourth, just one point shy of their southern rivals.
The match began with Lille taking an early lead in the 17th minute, courtesy of 19-year-old Belgian forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who deftly maneuvered past Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka to score.
Nice responded in the 56th minute when midfielder Sofiane Diop equalized with an impressive back-heel shot from close range. However, Lille regained their lead just ten minutes later, with Dutch defender Mitchel Bakker scoring, assisted by the energetic Fernandez-Pardo.
As the clock wound down, Nice’s Bulka advanced into the attack to support a last-minute free kick. Louchet seized the moment, unleashing a low shot to level the match just before the final whistle.
In another fixture on Sunday, Lyon faced off against their fierce rivals Saint-Etienne without any visiting supporters in the stands, a precautionary measure stemming from previous violent encounters between fan groups in the city.
In additional match updates, Japanese forwards Keito Nakumara and Junya Ito both scored, leading Reims to a convincing 3-0 victory over struggling Le Havre, placing them sixth in the standings and level on points with Nice, who sit fifth on goal difference. Striker Oumar Diakité also contributed to the scoreline.
Meanwhile, bottom-dwelling Montpellier achieved a surprising 3-1 win at home against Brest, who are currently in fourth place and competing for a coveted Champions League spot. Montpellier struck twice through Arnaud Nordin and Wahbi Khazri within the first 12 minutes. Although Jonas Martin pulled one back for Brest early in the second half and Nordin’s penalty was thwarted by Marco Bizot, substitute Tanguy Coulibaly secured the win for Montpellier with a late goal.
Additionally, Rennes suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of midtable Toulouse. This match came shortly after Rennes dismissed coach Julien Stéphan, with former Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli watching the game in anticipation of taking over the managerial role.
In the league standings, defending champions Paris Saint-Germain maintain a solid position six points clear of second-place Monaco, both teams having secured victories on Saturday.