Nice striker Plea scores hat trick amid Balotelli absence (The Associated Press)

Alassane Plea showed once more that he can fill in perfectly well for star striker Mario Balotelli, scoring a hat trick as unbeaten French league leader Nice won 4-2 at Metz on Sunday. Nice was missing Balotelli through injury, but Plea scored for the third time this season when leading the attack in his absence. The 23-year-old Frenchman displayed great composure with two one-on-one finishes - including a key goal in the 84th minute - as Nice won for the eighth time in 10 games under Swiss coach Lucien Favre, who joined after six seasons with German club Borussia Moenchengladbach.