Stade Brestois 29 0-3 OGC Nice

THE MATCH

Nice travelled to Brest knowing that victory could take them into a provisional second place behind Paris Saint-Germain, and they started brightly at the Stade Francis-Le Blé with Pablo Rosario forcing a save from Marco Bizot inside the first minute (1'). Les Aiglons flew into the lead - deservedly - inside before a quarter of an hour was on the clock, when Dolberg controlled Justin Kluivert's cross from the left and steered home his fifth goal of the season (13'). Brest soon clicked into gear, though, and Jérémy Le Douaron drew a pair of saves from Bizot's opposite number Walter Benitez in quick succession (16', 18'). Nice's task was then made decidedly harder when Morgan Schneiderlin was given his marching orders for a dangerous tackle on Christophe Hérelle (22'). Brest poured on the pressure from there, with Steve Mounié (39'), Lucien Agoumé (41') and Le Douaron (41') all testing Benitez, but the Argentine held firm and the deadlock remained intact at the break.

Nice pull clear

Benitez was called into action again soon after the restart, Romain Faivre's wicked, curling free-kick tipped around the post at the last for a corner (52'). Goalscorer Dolberg was replaced by fellow attacker Delort on the hour (60'), but Brest maintained their dominance and Brendand Chardonnet was only a Hicham Boudaoui clearance on the line away from making it 1-0 with a header from a Faivre cross (64'). Nice coach Christophe Galtier sent more fresh legs into the fray in Alexis Claude-Maurice and Khéphren Thuram (69') in an attempt to shore things up, and they managed that and then some, Delort putting the 10-man visitors further ahead when he latched onto Gouiri's pass and slotted home (79'). Brest had a late penalty claim waved away (85') before Gouiri added gloss to the scoreline late on (90'+4).

THE PLAYER: Walter Benitez

Dolberg, Delort and Gouiri may have got their goals, but Nice could well have been dead and buried here if not for their goalkeeper. Benitez boasts the second-highest save percentage in the division, and with his team shorthanded he had to make 10 saves here on the way to his seventh clean sheet of the season.

THE STAT:  3

Having previously gone three games without victory - dropping eight points in the process - Nice have now won each of their last three matches in Ligue 1 Uber Eats. Olympique de Marseille still have a game in hand over their Mediterranean rivals, but for now Nice are PSG's nearest pursuers thanks to a +3 better goal-difference.