NICE: Winger Hatem Ben Arfa scored two late penalties as Nice beat second-placed Angers 2-1 to move provisionally up to third place in Ligue 1 on Friday.

Angers had appeared to be on course to strengthen their grip on second spot when Pierrick Capelle put the visitors in front in the in the 24th minute at the Allianz Riviera with his second goal in as many games.

However, Ben Arfa — pushing for a place in France’s European Championship squad later this year — ended a barren run of 10 league games without a goal with two expertly-taken spot kicks.

He sent goalkeeper Alexandre Letellier the wrong both times, placing the ball to the right in the 80th minute and stroking it to the left four minutes later to take his league tally to nine this season.

Nice, whose only defeat in their last six Ligue 1 games came against runaway leaders Paris St Germain, moved to 33 points from 21 matches, ahead on goal difference from their Cote d’Azur rivals Monaco, who visit Lorient on Sunday.

Angers remain a point above them in second but they are an enormous 20 points adrift of still unbeaten PSG.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2016