Nice ride on Ben Arfa brace in Ligue 1
AFP
AFP, PARIS: Hatem Ben Arfa scored two late penalties as Nice came from behind to beat second-placed Angers 2-1 in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Angers had appeared to be on course to strengthen their grip on second spot when Pierrick Capelle put the visitors in front in the first half at the Allianz Riviera with his second goal in as many games.
However, Ben Arfa netted a first penalty to bring Nice level 10 minutes from the end after Jean-Michael Seri was fouled inside the area.
And the home side were awarded another spot-kick in the 84th minute when a Niklas Hult cross struck the arm of Vincent Manceau.
Ben Arfa stepped up again to send Alexandre Letellier the wrong way from 12 yards and score his ninth Ligue 1 goal of the campaign.
Nice, whose only defeat in their last six Ligue 1 games came against leaders Paris Saint-Germain, move provisionally up to third on goal difference from their Cote dAzur rivals Monaco, who visit Lorient on Sunday.
Angers remain a point above them in second but they are an enormous 20 points adrift of still unbeaten PSG, who can extend their advantage further with a win at Toulouse on Saturday.
The big game of the weekend sees Lyon visit fierce rivals Saint-Etienne on Sunday evening.
Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva will miss Saturdays trip to Toulouse in Ligue 1, while Angel Di Maria has also been ruled out.
Silva hurt his knee in last weekends 2-0 victory over Bastia and sat out the capital clubs midweek win over Lyon that saw them advance to the semi-finals of the League Cup.
Di Maria set up Lucas for the winning goal in Wednesdays 2-1 victory at home to Lyon after coming on as a substitute, but the Argentina international was unable to train on Thursday after sustaining a knock to his right foot.
Runaway leaders PSG were a huge 20 points clear at the top of the French league before second-placed Angers went to Nice on Friday and are unbeaten in their last 36 domestic outings, a runstretching back 10 months.
