Relegation-threatened Auxerre grab a vital point against dominant Nice in Ligue 1
There was a tribute to the late legendary France and Nice striker Just Fontaine prior to kick-off, but the great man would not have been impressed by his former club’s start to the match.
Gaetan Laborde should have done much better after Khephren Thuram squared him the ball in a promising position, only to fire his effort straight at Ionut Radu.
He would come to rue that missed opportunity, as Christophe Pelissier’s side took a surprise lead when Matthis Abline brilliantly picked out Gauthier Hein, who smashed the ball past Kasper Schmeichel.
Their frustration was compounded when Didier Digard was forced into a first-half change after Sofiane Diop landed awkwardly on the turf, and was replaced by Badredine Bouanani.
It looked like the tide may have been turning when referee Bastien Dechepy pointed to the spot after Akim Zedadka tugged Thuram's shirt in the box. Laborde stepped up but squandered a chance to level the scores when his tame spot-kick was comfortably parried away to safety by Radu.
However, he made amends for that costly miss with a superb diving header to meet Jordan Lotomba’s excellent cross - the latter marking his 100th Nice appearance with an assist just before halftime.
Clearly buoyed by the goal, Nice smelt blood and nearly turned the game on its head with Hicham Boudaoui’s speculative strike from distance, which clipped off the top of the bar at the end of a free-flowing move.
The anticipated onslaught on Radu’s goal failed to materialise, as the majority of the crowd inside the Allianz Riviera became increasingly exasperated on a frustrating evening for the hosts.
Digard’s men are now unbeaten in nine matches (W6 D3) since his appointment as interim manager, but this will feel like two points dropped on a night when the Cote d’Azur side could have at least temporarily moved up into sixth.
Instead, they remain seventh, while Auxerre appear to be made of steelier resolve these days, but could still find themselves in the bottom four depending on other results this weekend.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jordan Lotomba (Nice)