Ivory Coast forward Jeremie Boga scored the winner as Nice beat Reims 2-1 to take back second place in the French league.
Boga picked his spot from 18 yards to unleash a low strike that Reims goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf palmed into his own net in the 82nd minute.
Nice is known for patiently probing for an opening by swapping passes in its own half. But goalkeeper Marcin Bulka diverted from the script with a long punt in the 55th. The Reims defence cleared the ball into the path of Gaetan Laborde, who drove forward to open the scoring for Nice with a shot off the underside of the bar.
Reims captain Yunis Abdelhamid met a cross from Junya Ito to equalize with a downward header in the 78th. Ito also hit the woodwork with an effort in the 67th.
“I think we were a bit too excited sometimes,” Nice centre back Dante told Amazon Prime Video. “We will have to correct that for the next games so that we can have more control.”
Nice has built its success on a solid defence this season, the stingiest in Europe’s top five leagues, conceding only six goals in 15 league games.
Nice moved two points clear of Monaco while Reims dropped to eighth place.
AUBAMEYANG STAYS HOT
Ten-man Marseille secured their first away league victory, defeating Lorient 4-2 to claim the sixth spot, trailing Brest by two points.
Chancel Mbemba, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Leonardo Balerdi gave Marseille a 3-0 lead, with Romain Faivre pulling one back for Lorient.
