PARIS — Nice slid down to fifth place in the French league standings after settling for a 1-1 draw at Toulouse on Sunday, conceding a late goal.

The visitors initially took the lead when Gaeten Laborde converted a penalty kick in the 18th minute, following a foul on his strike partner Evann Guessand by Toulouse goalie Guillaume Restes.

Despite having the upper hand early on, Nice found themselves under pressure as the match progressed. Toulouse came close to equalizing midway through the second half when Nice defender Melvin Bard notably cleared a shot from Aron Donnum off the line. The home team’s relentless efforts finally paid off when defender Warren Kamanzi capitalized on a spilled free kick by Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka, finding the net from close range.

Currently, Nice sits one point behind fourth-placed Lille and trails third-placed Monaco by three points, intensifying their quest for a slot in next season’s Champions League.

In another match on Sunday, Paulo Fonseca debuted as Lyon’s new coach in an away fixture against second-placed Marseille, amidst heightened security measures that restricted away fans from attending due to concerns over potential violence between groups of supporters.

Marseille was eager to secure a win to maintain a 10-point deficit behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who enjoyed a commanding 5-2 victory against Brest during a high-scoring Saturday in Ligue 1.

In other fixtures, Mostafa Mohamed from Egypt netted the winning goal that propelled Nantes to a 2-1 victory over Reims. French striker Matthis Abline had given Nantes the lead in the 42nd minute, but Reims equalized thanks to an own goal from Jean-Charles Castelletto, who mishandled a corner.

Meanwhile, Rennes secured a crucial 1-0 win against Strasbourg, courtesy of a late goal from midfielder Ludovic Blas, effectively lifting them to 15th place.

Le Havre remains at the bottom of the table after their match against Angers ended in a 1-1 draw, with a late equalizer by defender Florent Hanin. The scoring opened in the 73rd minute when veteran forward Andre Ayew, who had come off the bench, found the net with a header from Josue Casimir’s cross.

The match was marked by tension, evident as both teams had a player sent off early in the game. Right back Lilian Raolisoa received a red card in the 10th minute, followed closely by Le Havre captain Arouna Sangante, who was dismissed for a reckless tackle on Angers forward Esteban Lepaul.