Dolberg claims first goal as Nice move level with PSG

PARIS: Former Ajax striker Kasper Dolberg scored his first goal for billionaire-backed Nice as they moved level on points with Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain with a 2-1 win over Dijon.

Dolberg, 21, who left the Champions League semi-finalists over the summer, brought his side level after Julio Tavares’ opener for the visitors, who are yet to win this season.

African Nations Cup champion Youcef Atal then scored the second-half winner for Patrick Vieira’s side, who were brought by British petrochemical businessman and owner of Ineos, Jim Ratcliffe in August.

“It’s good that he (Dolberg) scored. It will do him a lot of good,” Vieira said.

“It’s always better to be high up than lower down. But there is a lot of work in front of us.”

Earlier on Saturday, Valere Germain’s second goal in as many games salvaged a 1-1 draw for Marseille against Montpellier in a fiery encounter that saw three players sent off in a stoppage

time bust-up.

The match ended in chaos when Boubacar Kamara and Jordan Ferri were shown red cards for their part in a late scuffle before Dimitri Payet was given his marching orders for losing his temper with referee Amaury Delerue after being booked for a trip on Montpellier’s Vitorino Hilton.

“Dim (Payet) said something to the referee who was very incisive with his red, but for Kamara, it’s unacceptable,” Villas-Boas said.

“We’re going to appeal Bouba’s one, he told me he did nothing.

“The game didn’t deserve to finish like that, I don’t know what happened with the referee for him to lose his head like that and give a red instead of a yellow,” Villas-Boas added.

The visitors claimed the lead after 17 minutes from a right-wing cross, Florent Mollet’s whipping low across the face of goal aimed for Andy Delort but Bouna Sarr’s interception ended up in the back of his own net in greasy conditions.

The hosts drew level with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Payet found Nemanja Radonjic on the left wing who crossed for Germain inside the box.

Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli went the wrong way and Germain added his second in the campaign after netting against Monaco last week and the points means Villas-Boas’ outfit sit in third place in the table.

Elsewhere, Monaco are still looking for their first win of the campaign after dour goalless draw at Reims.

Brazilian Pablo’s 70th minute header claimed a 2-2 draw for Bordeaux against Brest leaving Pablo Sousa’s side in sixth place.