PSG rescues point as Nice go top of Ligue 1

Edinson Cavani's second-half double rescued a 2-2 draw for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at home to title rivals Nice.

The visitors were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to a stunning Wylan Cyprien free kick and Alassane Plea's finish just before the break.

PSG roared back, however, with Cavani pulling a goal back within a minute of the re-start before the striker profited on a Yoan Cardinale blunder to smash home the equaliser.

The point was enough to send Nice back to the top of the table, just ahead of Monaco, with PSG four points off the pace in third.

Mathieu Valbuena's first-half strike was enough to see Lyon leapfrog 10-man Rennes into fourth place with a 1-0 win at Parc OL.

Romain Hamouma scored the only goal as St Etienne followed up their midweek Europa League success with a 1-0 home win against Guingamp.

ASSE qualified for the last 32 knockout phase in the Europa League with a 3-2 win at Anderlecht to finish top of Group C on Thursday night and Hamouma's solitary strike clinched them victory over fifth-placed Guingamp.

Chelsea take top spot in Power Rankings, Juventus up to third, City drop out

For the second consecutive week, Chelsea fell behind vs. a top team and fought back for an impressive win.

1. Chelsea (+1)

Will Antonio Conte's side ever lose another game? Of course they will, but for now the Blues are rolling through opponents with ease. Last weekend saw another master class against a top opponent as they fell behind at Man City but rallied for three slick goals to take all three points and cement their position at the top of the Premier League. Rivals, beware.

2. Real Madrid (-1)

Zinedine Zidane's side stumbled a little in the past week but are still well on course for their La Liga and Champions League objectives. A strong showing in Saturday's Clasico saw them grab a dramatic late 1-1 draw thanks to Sergio Ramos' header, while a midweek date with Borussia Dortmund ended with an entertaining 2-2 draw. Los Blancos are far from invincible, but Zidane has restored their sense of belief.

3. Juventus (+2)

Are the Bianconeri finally clicking? It's taken a few weeks for them to figure things out, but Saturday's 3-1 win over Atalanta was as good as Max Allegri's side have looked all season. Mario Mandzukic continued his fine run of form with a goal, and his strike partner Gonzalo Higuain was on the mark in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. Juve topped their UCL group and are four points clear in Serie A: not bad at all.

4. RB Leipzig (no change)

Can Leipzig continue their Leicester-like run in Germany? All signs point to yes: With no European football to trouble their tight squad, the minnows defeated Schalke 2-1 on Saturday to remain three points ahead of Bayern Munich. Yes, it felt odd to write that. They're the only unbeaten team in the German top flight and boast a goal difference of plus-18, second-best behind the Bavarian giants. What else can you write about this Cinderella story?

5. Barcelona (+3)

Reports of Barca's demise were greatly exaggerated, as it turns out: Luis Enrique's side shrugged off some indifferent league form to grab a deserved 1-1 Clasico draw on Saturday against in-form Real Madrid and followed it up with a decisive 4-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach to round out their Champions League group stage. Andres Iniesta is back and healthy, while Arda Turan (who scored three vs. Gladbach) showed he can take some of the attacking burden off the fabled "MSN." It bodes well for the Catalan giants heading into the winter.

6. Roma (+4)

Serie A has had several clubs struggling to compete with Juventus, but this season's AS Roma might finally be able to sustain a season-long charge. The Giallorossi fought hard for a 2-0 Rome derby win over Lazio at the weekend to remain second in the league on goal difference ahead of AC Milan. Roma also rounded out their Europa League group stage with a 0-0 draw at Astra Giurgiu, a result that matters little given that they had already guaranteed their place in the round of 32.

7. Bayern Munich (new)

The transition from Pep Guardiola to Carlo Ancelotti hasn't been entirely smooth this season, but the big boys of Germany still have plenty of quality to get them through the rough patches. Robert Lewandowski scored a hat trick in Friday's 3-1 win vs. Mainz, his first goals since Nov. 1, and then scored again in the midweek 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid to wrap up Champions League Group D. Despite some indifferent form, they're right where they need to be.

8. Borussia Dortmund (new)

Another big German club to have laboured a bit this season, Thomas Tuchel's side have found some cohesion this week. A 4-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach (aided by a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang brace) gave way to a spirited 2-2 draw at Real Madrid in midweek, a game in which they rallied from 2-0 down after 53 minutes. Flair and a fightback from the black-and-yellows should give fans something to cheer.

9. Nice (new)

As if RB Leipzig's stunning season so far wasn't impressive enough, Nice are pulling something similar in France. They're still top of Ligue 1 and notched their 12th win of the season last weekend vs. Toulouse, with Alassane Plea scoring his ninth league goal in 16 appearances to kick off a 3-0 win. Paris Saint-Germain's struggles are only helping Les Aiglons remain soaring domestically, and the return of Mario Balotelli in the Europa League helped them close a difficult campaign with a 2-1 win vs. FC Krasnodar.

10. AC Milan (new)

We've been watching Milan's many reboots over the past few seasons, but this time around the renaissance looks legit. The Rossoneri won their only game this week, a 2-1 come-from-behind victory vs. Crotone, to remain third in Serie A on goal difference and just four points behind Juventus. It's a far cry from the midtable mediocrity and constant managerial turnover we'd come to expect, and it's driven by unheralded talent like ex-Liverpool midfielder Suso. Gianluca Lapadula, who scored once and earned a penalty kick in Sunday's win, might also be one of the stories of the season.

Dropping out: Manchester City, Liverpool, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain

Mario Balotelli: I'll 'fly helicopter over Nice' if we win Ligue 1 title

Mario Balotelli has vowed to "fly a helicopter over Nice" if the club pull off a shock Ligue 1 title triumph this season.
Nice surprisingly lead the French top flight by three points and Balotelli, 26, has contributed six goals in as many league games since his summer arrival from Liverpool.
Paris Saint-Germain have won the Ligue 1 crown in each of the last four seasons, and with Unai Emery's men just three points back in third place, they remain favourites.
However, should Nice upset the odds as Leicester City did in the Premier League last season, Balotelli already has his celebration planned.
"I'm happy here [at Nice]. I've settled in very quickly in this fantastic place," he told Mediaset. "There are a lot of youngsters in the team and the coach is very good and I've found everything favourable. There's still a long way to go, but if we do win the title, I'm going to fly a helicopter over Nice."
Balotelli moved to Nice to revive a career that had fallen flat at Liverpool where -- after spending last season on loan at AC Milan -- he was told he was surplus to Jurgen Klopp's requirements in the summer.
"I think of [playing for] Manchester City -- winning the Premier League was fantastic and I think it's unrepeatable," said Balotelli when asked about his thoughts on England before turning to Liverpool, whom he joined in 2014.
The FC panel answer your tweets on whether or not Mario Balotelli should have been called up for Italy, who the Prem's top scorer will be and more.
"I know that it's half-an-hour from Manchester, but I don't know it very well. Nice's support is better than Liverpool's, which doesn't mean that the fans are better, but that there is more warmth in their support. [Liverpool] did me a favour by selling me."
Speculation has already emerged that Balotelli, who penned a one-year deal, is using Nice as a springboard to a bigger side come next summer.
The striker, however, is adamant his immediate focus is on his current club, not on any prospective employers.
"Before I joined Milan I was meant to go to Juventus, but then there were a few problems and the transfer didn't go through," he said. "[Sinisa] Mihajlovic is right that the only reason I did not explode last year was because of physical problems.
"I love Napoli and Neapolitans -- my daughter lives there, but coming back to Italy is not part of my plans at the moment. I'm only thinking about Nice and France."
Balotelli's presence at Italy's goalless draw with Germany at the San Siro on Tuesday raised questions about his status with the Azzurri. He has not played for his country since winning his 33rd cap during the 2014 World Cup.
Balotelli insisted he was merely attending the match as a spectator.
"I'm here for a Puma event and I've got a free evening so I'm going to San Siro because I'm a fan of the Italy national team and I always have been," he said. "I like to see in person how they play. I want to understand the mentality of this team."
Balotelli added that he has not yet spoken with Italy coach Giampiero Ventura.
Alison Bender and Gabriele Marcotti discuss the news that Mario Balotelli has been overlooked for a place in the latest Italy squad.
"I'm not one for talking, I will have to show him what I am worth on the field," he said. "I have to play the way Mario can."
Balotelli admitted he cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines when Italy featured at Euro 2016, where his country exited at the quarterfinal stage after losing on penalties to Germany.
"To be honest, during the European Championships this summer, I was unable to watch Italy because I was too worked up," he said. "I struggle to watch a side I really like a lot suffer without being able to help them.
"Since I was young, I always dreamed of playing for the national team and if I am not playing with them now then it means I am not doing enough, but there are no problems. When the coach feels I am ready to be called up, I'll be there."
Balotelli is fondly remembered for his brace in the Euro 2012 semifinal victory over Germany and he says he wants to live more nights like those with Italy.
"Everybody says [facing Germany in 2012 was the pinnacle of my career]," he said. "It was a dream of a night, we reached the final and it was fantastic. But everybody remembers me for this and I want to erase it because I want to write some more important chapters."

Nice lose first league game of the season at Caen

Nice suffered their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season as they went down to a surprising 1-0 loss at struggling Caen.

Ivan Santini’s penalty late in the first half proved the difference in an attritional affair that saw the visitors give up their six-point lead at the top of the table.

The hosts went closest to opening the scoring on the half hour when Damien Da Silva met Vincent Bessat’s free-kick at the back post but his goalbound header was turned away by Yoan Cardinale.

Then, shortly before the interval, Caen were handed the perfect opportunity to gain the advantage when Ronny Rodelin was fouled by Henrique Dalbert inside the area.

Santini took charge from 12 yards and sent Cardinale the wrong way for his third goal in five league games.

Caen continued in the same vain after the break and almost doubled their lead in the 47th minute but Frederic Guilbert’s point-blank header was superbly kept out by Cardinale.

Nice offered their first real effort just after the hour mark as in-form Mario Balotelli teed up Alassane Plea but his 18-yard effort ended up just the wrong side of the top-left corner.

And Balotelli went even closer minutes later when his first-time effort from Younes Belhanda’s pass came back off the upright with Remy Vercoutre well beaten.

Join me in Nice, Balotelli tells Liverpool outcast

Mario Balotelli has urged Mamadou Sakho to follow his escape route out of Liverpool and join Nice.

Following a terrible season at Anfield in 2014-15 and a similarly unproductive year back at AC Milan on loan, Balotelli left Liverpool to sign for the Ligue 1 outfit on a free transfer.

The former Manchester City striker has cut a revitalised figure in the south of France, scoring seven times in eight appearances for Lucien Favre’s league leaders.

Sakho is yet to feature for Liverpool this season having fallen out of favour with boss Jurgen Klopp on the back of disciplinary problems.

The France centre-back has been linked with a move to Leicester City and West Ham, but Balotelli is keen to share a dressing room with him once more.

“What a mess that a player like him does not play,” Balotelli told Telefoot. “I played with Mama. He is one of the best defenders I have worked [with]. He should go.

“If he wants to leave, I think that [a move to] Nice can be a good thing.”

And Balotelli is keen to play a part in any negotiations if required.

“I’ll talk to him,” he added. “I’ll do it, for the month of January? Yes, it would be good.”