Lille welcomed Nice to the Stade Pierre Mauroy on Sunday with both teams looking to move close to a Champions League spot.
The pair occupied mid-table positions heading into the match, and were looking to push further up the Ligue 1 table.
However, a Dario Cvitanich brace help Nice to a victory over Lille to move them into sixth.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
Good afternoon, and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from Stade Pierre Mauroy where Lille host Nice in Ligue 1.
I'm anticipating a good match here between two sides who love to attack and will be keen to move closer to the Champions League spots. Lille currently sit eighth in the table while Nice are a little further down in 14th.
Lille come into this match off the back of a goalless draw at Rennes, while Nice were held to a 2-2 stalemate by Montpellier HSC.
Time to bring you some team news.
LILLE XI: Enyeama, Beria, Kjaer, Basa, Souare, Balmont, Mavuba, Gueye, Kalou, Mendes, Rodelin
So manager Rene Girard has named an unchanged team following their draw at Rennes, which sees Rodelin up front and flanked by Kalou and Mendes.
NICE XI: Ospina, Kolodziejczak, Bodmer, Pejcinovic, Puel, Bruls, Digard, Mendy, Bautheac, Cvitanich, Pied
Jordan Amavi, Romain Genevois, Lloyd Palun and Valentin Eysseric have all dropped out of the side, while Mathieu Bodmer makes his debut after joining from Paris Saint-Germain. Nemanja Pejcinovic, Gergoire Puel and Jeremy Pied also start.
Bodmer will be at centre-back alongside Pejcinovic, while it's good news for Nice as Mendy, who pulled out of the France U21s with injury last week, has been deemed fit for the match.
The teams are making their way out onto the field at Stade Pierre Mauroy. Lille are wearing their home kit of red shirts, navy shorts and navy socks, while Nice are sporting their white away colours of all white.
The pre-match handshakes have been done and dusted, and Lille will have kick off.
KICKOFF! Lille get the match underway, and will shoot fro left to right in this first half.
No early chances in this match, but the game already has a nice flowing tempo to it.
Balmont gets the ball on the right, and flashes a ball across the face of goal, but no Lille player can get near it.
Mendes swings a dangerous diagonal pass towards Puel, but communications break down between the duo. Lille have started this match well and look sharp in attack.
Digard smashes into Balmont on the touchline but escapes a caution.
CLOSE! Lille come close to an equaliser as the cross comes in from the left to Rodelin inside the box. He hits it on the turn, but watches it creep agonisingly wide of the far post.
YELLOW CARD Balmont is the first man to have his named put into the referee's notebook today after he went through Pied.
GOAL! Lille 0-1 Nice (Dario Cvitanich)
First blood to Nice at the Stade Pierre Mauroy and it's another goal for Cvitanich. The ball is floated from the right into the box and is brought down brilliantly by a Bruls backheel. Cvitanich drops his shoulder and allows the ball to roll onto his right foot, before unleashing a powerful strike into the top corner of the net from the right.
Nice have a free kick from 30 yards out to the left of centre. They try to play it short but mess it up and Lille break.
Lille are upping their game now. They send in two dangerous crosses from either side of the field, and now have a corner.
Lille have two corners in quick succession, but Nice can clear the danger.
YELLOW CARD Beria is booked for arriving late at a challenge with Pejcinovic.
SAVE! Nice nearly find a second through Kolodziejczak. He arrives late on the edge of the box and smashes an effort towards the roof of the net, but Enyeama manages to tip it over.
Nice have probably been the better side up to now, but Lille are certainly posing a threat down the flanks.
CHANCE! Lille enjoy some nice play down the right before moving the ball inside to Kalou on the edge of the box. However, his shot is weak and easy for Ospina to claim.
YELLOW CARD Kolodziejczak picks up a caution for clipping Beria.
Lille are really on top at the moment, and look good for an equaliser. Seven minutes until half time.
YELLOW CARD Didier Digard goes into the book for a poor tackle on Rodelin.
Gueye breaks into the Nice box on the right before firing a shot at an angle. It takes a deflection of the defender, but Ospina is able to hold.
GOAL! Lille 0-2 Nice (Dario Cvitanich)
It's another brilliant goal from Nice, and again it's the partnership of Bruls and Cvitanich that makes it. Bruls drifts down the right and pulls of some stepovers on the edge of the box before prodding the ball inside the area to Cvitanich, who smashes his shot low and first time for his and his side's second.
HALF TIME: Lille 0-2 Nice
And there goes the half-time whistle to bring an end to an entertaining half. Cvitanich has scored both the goals for Nice from Bruls' assists, both of them superb.
Nice started the stronger, but Lille really pushed for an equaliser and looked likely to get it. However, Nice struck again just before the break, which means that the hosts have a real uphill task in the second half.
Let's bring you the half-time stats.
Match statistics:
Lille:
Shots 7
On target 3
Possession 52%
Corners 5
Fouls 8
Nice:
Shots 4
On target 3
Possession 48%
Corners 2
Fouls 7
Lille are back out and ready for the second half.
Nice have joined the party, and we're ready for kick off.
KICKOFF! Nice get the game back underway and will be shooting from left to right in this second half.
Kalou slips into the area and is body checked to the floor by Pejcinovic. He demands a penalty, but the referee only awards a corner.
SAVE! Ospina nearly makes an awful error but rescues himself with a brilliant save. He fumbles a long-range shot into the path of Rodelin, who gets his header away towards the bottom corner. However Ospina stretches out an arm and parries the danger.
That was a big let-off for Nice, and the closest Lille have come to scoring.
MISS! How on earth Lille haven't scored here I will never know. They hit Nice on the break before Mendes pushes the ball left to Kalou. He moves into the box and beats the defender for pace before firing a shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post. He should have scored.
LILLE CHANGES Mavuba heads straight down the tunnel, possibly for some treatment, along with Rodelin. Martin and Origi are on in their places.
Lille are all over Nice currently, and the away side are fortunate not have conceded. Better finishing could have the hosts level, or even ahead.
LILLE CHANGE Mendes is taken off for Meite, in what is the host's final substitution.
No chances in the last few minutes, mainly due to Kalou's knack of being offside. Time is running out for Lille.
CLOSE! Gueye unleashes a rocket from 35 yards out, which flies just over the bar. It's just not going in for Lille today.
YELLOW CARD Souare is the latest to go into the book for crashing through Pied, who is now receiving treatment.
NICE CHANGES Bruls and Pied have been replaced by Abriel and Genevois.
Nice are just sitting back and playing on the break now. They nearly add a third through Cvitanich, but his poor touch let him down to deny him a hattrick.
Kalou is offside. Again.
NICE CHANGE Amavi has just come on in place of Puel.
Kjaer looks in some discomfort with his back after an awkward fall and is currently receiving medical attention off the pitch.
We will have four minutes of added time.
FULL TIME: Lille 0-2 Nice
There goes the full-time whistle, and it's a terrific win for Nice, who move up to sixth with the victory.
Dario Cvitanich settled the match with a first-half brace, that Lille failed to respond to.
Here are some full-time stats.
Match statistics:
Lille:
Shots 21
On target 9
Possession 53%
Corners 10
Fouls 15
Nice:
Shots 5
On target 4
Possession 47%
Corners 2
Fouls 15
That's all from me. I hope you enjoyed the match. See you soon.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
