Toulouse missed the chance to move level on points with Ligue 1 leaders Brest this evening after falling to a disappointing defeat at Nice.

The visitors dominated for long spells but could not find a way past home goalkeeper David Ospina.

And they were made to pay as Danijel Ljuboja and Chaouki Ben Saada scored to move Nice away from the fringes of the relegation zone and into mid-table.

Ospina was outstanding throughout and he produced his first save early on, punching clear Paulo Machado's stinging free-kick.

Nice went ahead from their first attack of note. Renato Civelli's header from an Anthony Mounier free-kick crashed back off the bar but Ljuboja was on hand to stab home from close range.

Toulouse bossed the remainder of the first half but could not find an equaliser.

Ospina again denied Machado from a set-piece and then kept out a low drive from Adrian Gunino from the edge of the area.

The Nice keeper saved his best stop for the 33rd minute, however, when he somehow managed to block Moussa Sissoko's effort with his feet before Francois Clerc completed the clearance.

The one-way traffic continued after the break as Nice struggled to keep the visitors at bay.

And the home side were given an almighty let-off after 57 minutes when Sissoko headed wide from close range after he connected with an Etienne Didot cross.

Gunino had the next chance for Toulouse when he burst into the area but his shot skimmed the post.

The onslaught eventually subsided as the visitors perhaps sensed it was not going to be their day and their hopes of getting back into the contest all but ended when Gunino was sent-off after collecting his second yellow card of the evening with five minutes to go.

Nice took full advantage of their numerical superiority by adding a second in injury-time - Ben Saada curling a delightful lob over Mathieu Valverde.