Nice 3-0 Lyon: Hatem Ben Arfa inspires hosts as Ligue 1 action returns following Paris terror attacks

Home Top

PREMIER LEAGUE LIVE: Depay starts up front for Manchester United at Watford with teenagers Rashford and Goss on the bench
REVEALED: The truth behind Sterling's move to City as £49m man prepares for first Liverpool reunion
JAMIE CARRAGHER: Madrid want magic dust but as Benitez prepares for Clasico, the boss is not for changing
Mourinho persuaded me not to join Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, reveals Manchester City star De Bruyne
Wawrinka smashes Murray out of ATP World Tour Finals after British No 1 banishes wife and coaches from court
EXCLUSIVE: Pakistan probe launched amid suspicious betting patterns
Robshaw in the firing line as new head coach Jones prepares for talks on England captain's future
Stones could play for Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, insists former Everton captain Neville
Namibian international cricketer dies aged 25 after suffering stroke on pitch
Man City are using Sterling to the best of his attacking ability... Rodgers held him back at Liverpool by giving him defensive duties
Security fears ahead of El Clasico as 2,500 soldiers are called in to counter threat
This could be the last season Ronaldo and Messi face each other in Clasico... but they still dominate the fixture
Attack, attack, attack! Benitez vows to go for goals against rivals Barca
Bale out to kick-start campaign on biggest stage of all as Real Madrid prepare for El Clasico showdown
FANS VIEW: Pique is hated, Modric is key and Benitez is under pressure
10 KEY QUESTIONS: Will Messi be fit? How will Rafa cope with pressure?
Fans pay tribute to victims of Paris attacks as Ligue 1 returns... and Bundesliga teams remember the fallen while Bernabeu steps up security ahead of Real vs Barca
United's £58m man Martial reveals his best ever team, his favourite three heroes... and why that goal against Liverpool is his No 1
Paris determined 'more than ever' to host 2024 Olympic Games after terrorist attacks rocked French capital
Newcastle misfit Ben Arfa shines as Nice dent Lyon's hopes of reeling in runaway leaders PSG
As Rashford becomes the ninth player LVG has taken from the United academy, how have the others fared?
Ten years have flown by since the death of George Best... there'll never be another like him, but in Belfast the search goes on
Aguero's back and Sterling faces his former club... but for Klopp and Pellegrini, it's time to see how far they've come
George Best was Belfast's finest footballer... but who else makes our XI of players who were born in the city?

There was high security at the Allianz Riviera ahead of kick-off on Friday
This was the first Ligue 1 match since last Friday's Paris terror attacks
Valere Germain opened the scoring for the home side on 20 minutes
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa turned ball past his own goalkeeper to double lead
Vincent Koziello added a third 20 minutes from the end to seal the win

Published: 17:18 EST, 20 November 2015 | Updated: 20:41 EST, 20 November 2015

View
comments

Lyon remain 10 points adrift of league leaders Paris Saint Germain as they slumped to defeat at Nice on Friday.

Strikes by Valere Germain and Vincent Koziello, with an own goal in between by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, gave the hosts all three points.

Nice climbed up to third in the Ligue 1 standings with 24 points from 14 games as the French top flight returned for the first time since last Friday's terror attacks in Paris.

Nice midfielder Vincent Koziello celebrates after sealing the victory with the third goal with 20 minutes left

The Nice players congratulate Koziello (second left) after his strike made sure of the three points

A French police officer stands guard at the top of the stairs of the Allianz Riviera on Friday evening

There was a high level of security as fans were searched before entering the stadium on Friday night

Lyon are second on 25 points, 10 points behind PSG who travel to Lorient on Saturday.

Security services were on high alert ahead of kick-off in the south of France with supporters subjected to thorough searches before entering the Allianz Riviera.

The French national anthem was played before kick-off as the crowd paid tribute to the 130 who died when six locations, including the Stade de France, were targeted in a series of co-ordinated attacks.

Nice and Lyon players observe a minute of silence ahead of the first Ligue 1 game since the Paris attacks

Supporters raise candles alongside a banner which reads: 'Let the heat of our candles warm your hearts'

Ex-Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa was a constant thorn in the Lyon defence as Nice climbed to third

Former Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa, who returned to the France squad earlier this month, was a constant danger for the visitors and produceda brilliant piece of skill to set up Jean Michael Seri, who shot wide.

Nice were ahead soon after though when Germain flicked the ball past Anthony Lopes in the 20th minute to put the hosts ahead in a lively encounter.

Three minutes into the second half, Yanga-Mbiwa deflected Jeremy Pied's cross into his own net, giving Nice an almost unassailable lead.

In the 71st minute, Pied sent a cross into the path of Koziello, who fired home with a fine half volley to rub salt into the visitors' wounds.