NICE, France (AP) — Martin Terrier became the joint top scorer in the French league as Rennes salvaged a 1-1 draw at Nice to move into second place on Saturday.
Nice broke the deadlock with Youcef Atal’s outrageous cross from the outside of the boot that Andy Delort headed into the bottom corner in the 67th minute.
But Rennes leveled in the 78th when Terrier got ahead of Brazilian center back Dante to head home a free kick from Benjamin Bourigeaud. Terrier raised his tally to 17 league goals, tying Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder for the lead.
Rennes could have even won the game but Argentine goalkeeper Walter Benitez saved a close-range effort from Terrier in the 88th.
Marseille was third to Rennes on goal difference. Nice remained in fourth place, two points behind Rennes. The top two clubs qualify for the Champions League while the third-placed club goes to qualifying.
In a tactical game between the tightest defense in the league, Nice, and the most prolific attack, Rennes, there were only two decent chances in the first half. Nice forward Amine Gouiri curled a shot wide in the fourth minute and Rennes midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud narrowly missing the target from a free kick in the 44th.
Rennes finally found an opening in the Nice defense by pressing high up the pitch in the 52nd after Terrier charged down a clearance from Atal. The ball fell to Gaetan Laborde, who rounded Jean-Clair Todibo before hitting the post with an angled strike.
Defending champion Lille played bottom side Bordeaux late Saturday.
Marseille was scheduled to visit relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne but heavy snowfall forced the game to be postponed. If weather conditions improve, the game may be played on Sunday.
Access to Saint-Etienne’s Stade Geoffroy-Guichard was difficult, according to the host's website, with local authorities urging people to postpone non-essential travel. Marseille supporters were banned from attending the game anyway by the Loire prefecture over fears of crowd trouble.
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