Rennes, a Ligue 1 team for several weeks, dreamed of widening the gap on its pursuers in the fight for the podium behind Paris SG.

But the Bretons (2nd, 31 pts) gave in at home and here is Nice (3rd, 30 pts) in ambush, a length of the Rouge et Noir.

After three defeats in five matches, Christophe Galtier's men offer themselves the scalp of another champion of the Championship, after the victories in front of Lyon and Lille and the draw in Paris.

The Niçois made the difference in the first half thanks to a penalty from Kasper Dolberg and a goal from Youcef Atal at the start of the second half, enough to resist the equalizer from Benjamin Bourigeaud and a lot of pressure from Rennes at the end of the match.

Rennes midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud reduced the score (2-1) at home against Nice, during the 18th day of Ligue 1, December 12, 2021 at Roazhon Park JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER AFP

Nice now distance Montpellier (5th, 28 pts), winner 4-0 in Brest on Saturday, and Lens (6th, 27 pts), beaten in Nantes on Friday (3-2).

But his place on the podium is threatened by Marseille (4th, 29 pts), traveling to Strasbourg (5:05 p.m.) before the reception of Monaco (8th, 26 pts) by the Parisian leader in the evening (8:45 p.m.).

OL are counting on Lopes

At the beginning of the afternoon, the other duel of contenders for the European Cups gave birth to a timid draw, for lack of risk-taking on the Lyon side and realism on the Lille side.

Thanks to two decisive stops by Anthony Lopes, OL brought a point from the Pierre Mauroy stadium to conclude their hectic week, between the withdrawal of a point for the incidents against Marseille and the announcement of the departure of sports director Juninho.

For Lille, the return to the Championship is complicated after the historic qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League, with the first place in the group, acquired in the middle of the week.

Above all, the accounting situation of the two teams is fragile: 25 points for the Northerners, against 23 for the Rhone, who have one game less.

Even if the red zone remains at a good distance, the two teams stagnate in the second half of the table.

Lyon midfielder Maxence Caqueret, struggling with his Portuguese counterpart from Lille, Renato Sanchez, during the 18th day of Ligue 1, December 12, 2021 at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq DENIS CHARLET AFP

The fight for maintenance remains tight, after the tenth defeat on Saturday of the red lantern Saint-Etienne in Reims (2-0).

Troyes (17th, 16 pts) also suffered a 10th setback, at home against Bordeaux (2-1), which climbs back to 15th place (17 pts).

Between the two teams slipped Clermont, which obtained in Angers (1-0) its first victory since October 16.

Well helped by a magical free kick from the Algerian Farid Boulaya, the Mosellans of Metz (15 pts) signed their biggest success of the season, against Lorient (4-1), an important victory which allows them to overtake the Hake in the relegation zone, with the goal difference.

Goalkeeper Paul Nardi concedes a goal, during the defeat of Lorient, 4-1 against Metz, on the 18th day of Ligue 1, December 12, 2021 at the Stade Saint-Symphorien Jean-Christophe Verhaegen AFP

They suffer a 7th defeat in a row, the worst series in L1 currently.

© 2021 AFP