Pacesetters Nice Beaten Again As Emmanuel Sabbi Strikes Twice For Le Havre

Early season pacesetters Nice were beaten 3-1 at Le Havre on Saturday for a second straight Ligue 1 defeat after a 14-match unbeaten run. Paris Saint-Germain top the table on 36 points, four ahead of Nice in second, six ahead of Monaco, who lost to Lyon on Friday, and nine ahead of Lille, who they play Sunday. This new Nice defeat means PSG go into the winter break top of the league and, given Le Havre had failed to win in their last nine outings, is also a worry for challengers Nice.

The Riviera outfit had only conceded six goals in 15 games before Saturday, but Le Havre's American striker Emmanuel Sabbi scored twice and Mohamed Bayo added a third before Raoul Louche notched a Nice consolation goal in time added on.

Later, seventh welcomed eighth as Lens hosted Reims in a close-fought encounter at Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Following Tuesday's last-gasp victory in Europe against Sevilla, which secured Lens' place in the Europa League knockout play-offs, Franck Haise's side capped off a memorable week with a 2-0 win.

Goals either side of the break from Wesley Said and Oscar Cortes were enough to move Lens up to fifth place, provisionally.

The visiting side dominated the first half, with Mohammed Daramy's strike ruled out for offside and Emmanuel Agbadou heading onto the post, but it was Reims who broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute.

A calamitous defensive mix-up resulted in Joseph Okumu glancing a long ball over the advancing 'keeper Yehvann Diouf and into the path of Said, who finished into the empty net from a tight angle with his left foot.

Cortes then doubled the lead with 15 minutes remaining, his first goal for Lens being validated after a lengthy VAR check to ensure he was onside when Ruben Aguilar lifted in his cross.

PSG are the pick of the six games on Sunday, when they will travel north to take on fourth-placed Lille.

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