OGC Nice 1-4 Olympique Lyonnais

THE MATCH

That both teams lined up with three men in attack all but promised goals and Memphis should have had the Nice net rippling early on when Toko Ekambi found him in the box, but he fired straight at Walter Benitez from a tight angle (18'). The third player in the OL frontline - Kadewere - earned a spot-kick under duress from Stanley Nsoki midway through the half, and Memphis made amends for his earlier miss, deceiving Benitez with a Panenka penalty (30'). Aouar tried to send Lyon further clear when the Nice defence backed off from him on the edge of the box, but his subsequent curler sailed harmlessly wide (33'). Rony Lopes put a fine ball in for Amine Gouiri at the other end but the former Lyon man's control - or lack thereof in this instance - meant that the chance got away from him (38'). OL made their hosts pay for that profligacy when Kadewere steered his sixth goal of the season into the far corner following a defensive mix-up (39') but Nice reduced the arrears before the half was up, Gouiri's flying header from another Lopes cross leaving Benitez's opposite number Anthony Lopes with no chance (43').

Lyon simply too strong

The game was nearly an hour old before the first yellow card was issued, Antony Gautier reprimanding Khéphren Thuram for tackling through the back of Lucas Paqueta (57'), and there was then more mischief than malice when Aouar attempted to play on in cutting back for Toko Ekambi when the ball had already crossed the byline (58'). Toko Ekambi finally added his name to the scoresheet with the purest of goals just past the hour when Memphis played Kadewere through with an exquisite pass and the Zimbabwean, with Benitez bearing down on him, slipped it to his Cameroonian colleague who finished into an empty net (63'). Youdef Atal might have pulled one back had he controlled in the Lyon box soon after, but Maxwel Cornet recovered the danger (68'). Toko Ekambi was denied his seventh league goal of the season by the offside flag (71') before Aouar put the game beyond doubt with a close-range finish (73'). Memphis ran a chance into Benitez late on (83') and it ended 4-1.

THE PLAYER: Memphis Depay

Memphis had helped the ball on for the penalty which Kadewere earned and he converted so adeptly, and his pass for the third goal was nothing short of world class. The Dutchman doesn't always have to hit top gear to look like Lyon's best player, but his eight goals and four assists, and effortlessly superior performance here, are a large part of the reason Rudi Garcia's side are top, albeit provisionally.

THE STAT: 13

Lyon are undefeated in each of their last 13 games in Lugue 1 Uber Eats. Les Gones have not tasted defeat in the French top flight since the opening day when they were edged 2-1 by Montpellier Hérault SC. If anyone is going to dethrone Paris Saint-Germain as champions this season, the safe money looks like being on OL.