Good afternoon, and welcome to Sports Mole's live Ligue 1 coverage where Ajaccio host Nice at the Stade Francois Coty.

We only be three games into the new Ligue 1 campaign, but this is already a big match for these two sides. Both these teams will be hoping to secure a finish high up the table this year, in particular Nice, so they will both be desperate to push themselves away from the drop zone with a win today.

It's not been a great week for the away side, who were beaten by Cypriot minnows Apollon Limassol 2-0 in their Europa League qualifier during the week, and manager Claude Puel has urged his side to take their frustrations out on Ajaccio this afternoon.

Nice have endured a mixed start to their campaign. They were battered 4-0 by Lyon on the opening weekend before holding out Rennes 2-1 at Stade du Ray last Saturday. Can they make it two out of three wins today?

As for Ajaccio, they are yet to pick up their first three points of the season, although their 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes against champions Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday will have felt like a win. Guillermo Ochoa was the hero in goal for L'ours as he only conceded to Edinson Cavani a few minutes from time in a match that saw PSG have 38 efforts on goal compared to the visitors singular shot. That came a week after they were beaten 1-0 by Saint-Etienne on home turf. Having had a difficult start to the season, will Ajaccio be able to register the win today under Fabrizio Ravanelli's guidance?

Time for some team news, and we'll start with the hosts.

AJACCIO XI: Ochoa, Bonnart, Perozo, Zubar, Andre, Diarra, Mostefa, Pedretti, Pierazzi, Belghazouani, Mutu

So Fabrizio Ravanelli has made two changes to the team that fought so admirably against PSG last weekend. Joshua Nadeau and Paul Lasne miss out while Benjamin Andre and Chahir Belghazouani come into the starting lineup.

Time for the away team.

NICE XI: Ospina, Amavi, Genevois, Gomis, Kolodziejczak, Bruls, Digard, Eysseric, Mendy, Bautheac, Cvitanich

Two changes also from the Nice camp where Lloyd Palun and Jeremy Pied are removed from the starting lineup. Jordan Amavi and Valentin Eysseeric are brought in.

Time for the substitutes benches.

AJACCIO BENCH: Sissoko, Dielna, Nadeau, Popescu, Arrache, Deville, Goncalves

NICE BENCH: Hassen, Palun, Abriel, Constant, Traore, Bosetti, Pied

The two teams have made their way out onto the field at a sunny Stade Francois Coty. It's the perfect afternoon for a game of football.

Ajaccio are in their all white strip, Nice are sporting all blue. Easy enough to decipher the two teams.

Ajaccio have centre and will play from right to left in this first half. Nice the opposite.

KICK OFF! Ajaccio get us underway.

Early corner for Ajaccio as they attack down the right.

It comes to nothing, and Nice can clear before winning a free kick in the left-back position.

Ronald Zubar, formerly of Wolves, is receiving a talking to from referee Laurent Duhamel after committing a foul.

Ajaccio have a chance to pump the ball forward into the box after Pedretti was fouled just over the centre circle on the right by Kolodziejczak.

Pedretti was the man to whip the ball into the box, but Nice meet the first and second ball to thwart the danger.

Another free kick for Ajaccio, Pedretti from the left this time.

This one isn't the greatest delivery and is a little short as Gomis heads clear.

Nice think they have taken the lead after a great diving header from Christian Bruls, who gets on the end of a free kick into the box. He wheels away in celebration, only to be left gutted when he sees the assistant referee's flag up on the near side.

The game's been a bit stop-start since that offside. Mutu clashes with Kolodzieczak and the two are currently receiving treatment.

CHANCE! Great chance for Nice and it's Bruls who has squandered it. Eysseric causes havoc with his pace running from the centre to the right corner of the penalty area, he shapes to shoot but instead turns and knocks the ball inside. Bruls tries to meet it with a curling effort, but he cannot guide it into the top corner and it goes over.

CHANCE! Nice again, and they should do better with this. The ball breaks on the edge of the box to Mendy, but he can't bring the ball under control. It falls to Digard, who drills an effort that takes a deflection and goes behind for a corner.

And yes, that is the Digard who used to play for Middlesbrough. He has just been penalised for an infringement at the resulting corner.

Nice have made a decent start to this match. They look very sharp in midfield and have pace going forward. Ajaccio have yet to really get a foot on the ball.

Chance from this free kick now for Ajaccio as Mutu is clattered by Kolodziejczak. The kick is just outside on the box on the right corner. A left footer would have a go at goal here.

That. Is. Shocking. Sigamary Diarra steps up and must think he is playing rugby, because he clears the posts with no trouble at all. Manager Ravanelli does not look amused.

Nice still on top but the game is becoming more open.

Nearly a chance for Cviatnich then, who charged down a bouncing ball into the box and nipped it past the onrushing Ochoa. However, the Mexican had made himself big enough to force Cvitanich to knock the ball too far and out of play.

Both sides have just had a break to take some fluids on board and receive a talking to from their respective managers. The game is now back underway.

Nearly a chance for Ajaccio, as Mutu's dribble lands at the feet of Diarra. But he cannot turn his man, and Pedretti's long-range effort is blocked.

The game is a bit dull at the moment. We haven't had a chance at goal in a long time.

Nice stop play and boot the ball off the pitch as Grenddy Perozo holds his head on the ground. He doesn't seem happy after clashing with Cvitanich, who looks to have accidently struck the defender when raising his hand to call for the ball.

The referee gives them both a talking to, and play continues.

Ajaccio attack down the left, as they have done for most of this game, up against the inexperienced Jordan Amavi. The 19-year-old manages to poke the ball off the feet of Mutu and out for a corner.

Nice are awarded a free kick from the corner after Ospina is fouled.

Nice are still well on top, but if Ajaccio can sneak an opener that it would serve the visitors right for not creating enough chances.

Perozo plays a lovely long ball from inside his own half which finds Belghazouani on the right flank. He brings it down well initially but his second touch is too heavy and the ball runs into the arms of Ospina.

Both teams have had a few sniffs at goal but no clear-cut chances. Nice on top but really haven't made Ajaccio sweat too much. Not long to go before half time.

We'll have two additional minutes at the end of this first half.

Well that brings to an end a rather uneventful half at the Stade Francois Coty. Nice have been on top, but haven't asked too much of Ajaccio. Both sides have had a few half chances, but nothing to worry either Ochoa or Ospina.

Here are some half-time statistics.

Match statistics:

Ajaccio:
Shots 3
On target 1
Possession 37%
Corners 3
Fouls 10

Nice:
Shots 3
On target 0strong>Possession 63%
Corners 2
Fouls 6

Ajaccio are back out onto the field.

Nice are just joining them.

KICK OFF! Nice get the second half underway shooting from right to left.

Here's to hoping that the second period is better than the first.

Good defending from Gomis on the right there, who was initially beaten for pace by the tricky Mutu, but the defender was able to race back and make recovering sliding challenge.

I'm not sure what Ravanelli has said at the break but it has certainly had an impact on Ajaccio's game already. They have started on the front foot and are actually making their way into the Nice penalty area.

Bautheac goes flying in looking to win the ball and lands an elbow on the head of Andre. There is no blood or wounds but Andre does look a little dazed and confused.

Ajaccio have been much improved in this second half. They are pressing far higher up the field. And Nice haven't really had a look in as of yet.

Real chance for Ajaccio to break the deadlock there. Mutu takes the ball on the chest on the edge of the box before turning away from his marker brilliantly and knocking the ball across the area. Unfortunately for him, there was nobody present in the box to smash it home.

SAVE! Just as I was praising Ajaccio, their keeper Ochoa keeps them level. Nice break and drill a hammer shot at goal through Mendy, which is swerving and pushed away by the Mexican before Cvitanich spurns the rebound wide. Real chance for Nice there.

Less than half an hour to go, and both teams seem to realise that there are three points up for grabs.

Ajaccio about to make a change.

Nice are making a swap as well.

NICE CHANGE Christian Bruls is replaced by Jeremy Pied.

I imagine Eysseric will move into the centre and Pied will occupy the right flank as a result of that change.

Another water break midway through a half, and we're back in action.

Very nearly a chance for Ajaccio there. Belghazouani receives a switched pass from the left and manages to ghost past one defender, but he tries to do another instead of passing it and is tackled.

AJACCIO CHANGE Belghazouani has now been replaced and Brandon Deville is on.

Break in play at the moment as Ospina is receiving attention having clashed heads with Diarra when both going to get on the end of a Pedretti cross into the box.

Judging by the fact that he is doing squat thrusts, I would say that Ospina is ok.

That's how you kill a chance. Bautheac burts down the left with some pace, knocking the ball one side of Zubar before meeting it on the other and then plays the ball into the box. No Nice player seems willing to shoot, and four passes to the right later, Ajaccio can clear the ball on the edge of the box. A real waste.

This game is very finely poised. Both sides are attacking a lot more now, but can either break the deadlock.

Deville goes through one-on-one with Ospina, and looks devastated when is correctly flagged offside.

NICE CHANGE Erick Bautheac is replaced by Bryan Constant.

AJACCIO CHANGE Sigamary Diarra makes way for Stefan Popescu.

CHANCE! Adrian Mutu rises highest to meet the corner on the penalty spot but he can't guide his header on target as he watches it fly wide of the far post.

Nice nearly manage to force the ball into the back of the net after a free kick into the box causes havoc in the Ajaccio penalty area, luckily for them, Ochoa is on hand to bravely catch the ball among a onslaught of flying boots.

And at the other Mutu is just a whisker away from making contact with a brilliant low Deville cross that would have put them a goal to the good.

A minute of normal time to go, can either side steal a late win.

We will have four minutes of added time.

NICE CHANGE Dario Cvitanich is taken off while Mahamane Traore comes on.

So after a more promising second half, both teams are forced to settle for a point at the Stade Francois Coty. Not a bad point for either team, but there were three there for the taking today.

Here are some full-time statistics for you.

Match statistics:

Ajaccio:
Shots 6
On target 2
Possession 44%
Corners 5
Fouls 20

Nice:
Shots 10
On target 2
Possession 56%
Corners 3
Fouls 12

Well that's it from me, I'll be back at 7.30pm to bring you Nantes vs. Paris Saint-Germain. Until then, goodbye.