Lille produced an impressive display with 10 men to secure a goalless draw against Nice, who missed the chance to climb up to sixth in Ligue 1.
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In a tight opening to the match, neither side appeared eager to get onto the front foot as the two sets of defences enjoyed superiority until the key moment arrived in the 41st minute.
After challenging Carlos Eduardo close to the halfway line, Djibril Sidibe foolishly kicked out at the Brazilian to the leave the referee with no other choice but to show him the red card.
The official struggled to keep the match under control as tough challenges continued to arrive from both sides, and Lille were left frustrated again when Marko Basa's header appeared to strike Souleymane Diawara on the hand.
Despite playing the majority of the game with 10 men, Lille looked the sharper of the two sides in possession, and they enjoyed long spells on top in the second half.
Sofiane Boufal came agonisingly close to snatching them the points in stoppage time with a curled effort which beat Mouez Hassen, but grazed the top of the crossbar.
Callum Mulvihill
