PARIS — Nice striker Mario Balotelli has more red cards away from home than goals this season.
The Italian has scored nine in the French league so far, but all have been at home. On Saturday he was sent off for the second time on his travels, and for the third time overall during his first campaign in France. However, despite his red card, Nice won at Lorient 1-0 to move up to second place behind Monaco.
Balotelli returned to the side after missing last weekend’s action with a fever, but was shown a straight red following an altercation with Lorient defender Zargo Toure. From initial video replays, it seemed difficult to ascertain what Balotelli did wrong other than backing into Toure with his arms up as they challenged for a ball.
Nice coach Lucien Favre was no closer to an explanation after the game, although he suggested Balotelli may have spoken out of turn to referee Tony Chapron.
"I didn’t see what happened. All of a sudden he was coming off and I said to myself, ‘What’s happened?"’ Favre said. "I didn’t see when he (the referee) gave the red card and I don’t know why. It seems that he talked back to the referee."
Favre refuted any notion that Balotelli might be getting singled out unfairly by referees.
"He’s not on referees’ radars. They are totally neutral," Favre said. "If there is reason to send a player off, then they will."
Midfielder Wylan Cyprien scored his seventh in the league after being set up by right back Arnaud Souquet early on.
Nice is three points behind Monaco, and one point ahead of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain, which is at home to Toulouse on Sunday. Lorient is in last place.
MARSEILLE 2, RENNES 0
Marseille showed it can cope without top scorer Bafetimbi Gomis, as it maintained its push for a top-four finish and place in the Europa League next season.
Gomis has been Marseille’s best player, scoring 16 league goals, but injured a knee last weekend and is expected to be out for up to six weeks.
In his absence, wingers Clinton N’Jie and Florian Thauvin grabbed second-half goals as Marseille moved level on points with fifth-place Saint-Etienne and one point behind fourth-place Lyon. They are both playing on Sunday.
France playmaker Dimitri Payet went close three times — hitting the crossbar with a rasping shot — before starting the move that led to N’Jie’s goal in the second half.
Five minutes later, Thauvin scored a powerful swerving shot into the top corner from 20 metres after running onto a neat back heel from midfielder Morgan Sanson.
Inconsistent Marseille has won its last three home games but lost its last three away.
Next Sunday comes bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain, a must-win game in the eyes of the passionate Marseille fans at Stade Velodrome.
"We’re confident when we play at the Velodrome, but I’d like to us to do the same away from home," Marseille left back Patrice Evra said.
OTHER ACTION
Mid-table Angers won 1-0 at home against Nancy, which is one place above the relegation zone.
Lille, down to 10 men, beat Caen 1-0 in Lille coach Franck Passi’s first match in charge. Attacking midfielder Anwar El Ghazi, who came from Ajax last month, struck shortly after Lille centre half Adama Soumaoro was sent off.
Also, Metz drew with Nantes 1-1.
In Sunday’s other games, it is: Lyon vs Dijon, Montpellier vs. Saint-Etienne, and Bordeaux vs. Guingamp.
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