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Balotelli frustrated as Nice falters in title race

Reuters / Stephane Mahe

Paris - Mario Balotelli endured a frustrating afternoon as Nice dropped two vital points in the French title race with a 1-1 draw at mid-table Nantes on Saturday.

Nice had plenty of the ball but Balotelli was well shackled by the home defence - not always fairly - and the maverick Italian striker won his side a series of free-kicks in dangerous areas that it failed to make the most of.

The draw means Nice stays third, a point behind Paris Saint-Germain and four off leader Monaco, but both have a game in hand in a three-way tussle for the title.

Argentine forward Emiliano Sala put Nantes ahead on 22 minutes when his strike was too hot to handle for Nice goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale.

Jean Michael Seri equalised with a cracker from the edge of the box six minutes later, rifling home into the top corner.

Balotelli, whose early season form has dipped after a succession of injuries and suspensions, cut an increasingly demoralised figure and he was often left isolated up front.

His travails were summed up 10 minutes from time when a promising breakaway for Nice left him unmarked in front of goal but a cross from the left was behind him and the move broke down.

He threw his arms up in anger.

Seven minutes from time Nice boss Lucien Favre subbed a despondent Balotelli, who had just one shot on target all game.

And it was Nantes which might have stolen all three points in the second minute of injury time when Prejuce Nakoulma went down in the box under a heavy challenge from Valentin Eysseric.

It looked like a penalty but Nakoulma was booked as Nice, for whom this was a second draw on the bounce, was left hanging on.

Monaco, which dumped Manchester City out of the Champions League last 16 in midweek, can extend its lead at the top when it travels to lowly Caen in Sunday's early match.

Reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain, still reeling from its Champions League collapse at Barcelona, rounds off the weekend French league action as it entertains in-form Lyon at the Parc des Princes.

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