Lyon loses to Nice and misses chance to top Ligue 1 and Balogun scores for Monaco
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1:17 PM on Saturday, October 18
The Associated Press
NICE, France (AP) — Seven-time champion Lyon missed the chance to leapfrog Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1 after slumping to a second straight loss on Saturday.
Lyon could have taken command of Ligue 1 with a win at Nice following PSG’s 3-3 home draw with Strasbourg, but instead fell 3-2 despite dominating for long spells on the French Riviera.
The visitor quickly fell behind when Nice defender Melvin Bard connected with a fine cross by Sofiane Diop in the fifth minute.
Lyon controlled much of the first half and deservedly equalized near the half-hour mark through a header from Pavel Sulc.
Nice, however, made the most of its rare chances and regained the lead five minutes later as Diop turned from provider to scorer with a fine finish from a tight angle.
Lyon's Ainsley Maitland-Niles had a penalty kick after halftime but his effort was saved by Nice's Yehvann Diouf.
Hicham Boudaoui sealed the win with a strike in the 55th. Sulc pulled one back in added time for Lyon but it was not enough.
Nice ended a five-match winless streak across competitions and moved up to eighth, four points behind Lyon, which lagged two points behind PSG.
U.S. forward Folarin Balogun scored his second league goal of the season for fifth-placed Monaco in a 1-1 draw at struggling Angers.
After both sides failed to muster a shot on target during the opening half, Balogun went on as a substitute in the 62nd minute, part of changes made by new Monaco coach Sébastien Pocognoli that paid off.
Balogun was set up on the edge of the area by a brilliant touch from another substitute, Takumi Minamino, then resisted a defender's challenge and slotted a low shot home in the 72nd.
Monaco, however, could not hold onto the lead as 18-year-old center forward Sidiki Cherif scored his first Ligue 1 with four minutes left.
Later, Marseille chased a fifth straight win in all competitions against Le Havre.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
