Nice hit Bordeaux for six, Saint-Etienne edge Troyes
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| AFP |
Hatem Ben Arfa inspired Nice to a come-from-behind 6-1 victory over Bordeaux on Wednesday, scoring twice in the impressive performance. Jaroslav Plasil had finished off a neat Bordeaux build-up on six minutes as the visitors looked firmly on top, but Nice soon pulled ahead thanks to Ben Arfa's industry and imagination.
Goals from Valere Germain and then Mikael Le Bihan, who tapped in a rebound from a long range shot from Ben Arfa, had Nice 2-1 ahead at half-time. From the restart things got even worse for Bordeaux with a red card for Enzo Crivelli after 50 minutes and then an own-goal by Nicolas Pallois a minute later.
Ben Arfa then crowned a magnificent personal performance with a brace of goals on 68 and 74 minutes, one a tap in after a lightning breakaway, the other a flashing shot after a mazy run. Alexandre Mendy added the sixth in the 84th minute.
Saint Etienne needed an own goal in a 1-0 win against plucky newcomers Troyes, which came when Thomas Ayase tried to keep track with the onrushing striker Romain Hamouma only to turn the ball into his own goal. Christophe Galtier's team came fifth last season but are now sitting pretty in second, just a point behind Paris Saint Germain who beat Guingamp 1-0 on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Lyon beat Bastia 2-0, Lorient beat Caen by the same score and tiny Ajaccio of Corsica picked up their first home points in France's Ligue 1 with a 1-1 draw with Rennes.
In the late game, Marseille substitute Michy Batshuayi scored a 90th minute equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw at Toulouse after three men had been sent off. Referee Antony Gautier first sent Marseille's Benjamin Mendy packing, less than a minute after he'd come on in the 75th minute, for pulling Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akproa down. Toulouse had already taken the lead after 67 minutes as Martin Braithwaite slotted home the opener in a frantic goalmouth scramble.