Alasanne Plea scored four goals in a display of clinical finishing as Nice came from behind to win 5-2 at Guingamp in the French league on Sunday.

In the absence of Mario Balotelli, who was out injured with a thigh injury, Plea took on the scoring duties and got his first league quadruple. The former Lyon striker converted four of his six shots.

The emphatic victory revived Nice's hopes of qualifying for the Europa League, lifting the Riviera side to within one point of fifth-place Nantes with nine matches left. With leader Paris Saint-Germain and second-place Monaco in the League Cup final, the fifth spot is likely to bring Europa League football next season.

"We went through difficult times this season and lost many points we should have picked up," Plea said. "But we are still in the mix ... It's going to be tight, but there is room to go and get a European qualification."

Nice quickly recovered after Clement Grenier opened the scoring for the hosts from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, netting his first goal for Guingamp since joining from Lyon during the winter transfer window.

Plea leveled on the break in the 24th minute with a left-foot shot and hit the post with a header before halftime. Nice took the lead in the 47th minute with a superb effort from Plea, who controlled the ball with his chest to get past Jonathan Martins-Pereira on the left side, cut inside to the area, rounded Christophe Kerbrat and beat goalkeeper Kalle Johnsson with his right foot.

The 25-year-old Plea, who scored a hat trick against Metz last season, made it 3-1 near the hour-mark from a tight angle after being set up by Pierre Lees-Melou. Guingamp pulled one back through Grenier, whose free-kick was headed into his own goal by Nice defender Marlon with six minutes left.

The suspense did not last for long, though, as substitute Bassem Srarfi restored his side's two-goal lead with a header two minutes later. Plea got his fourth in stoppage time to take his season tally to 10 goals.

LYON BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Fourth-place Lyon ended a six-game winless run, including three losses in the French league, with a 1-0 scrappy win against Caen.

Facing a well-organized side, Lyon had only a few opportunities and failed to convert its sole first-half chance when Caen goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre parried away a shot from Myziane Maolida in the 34th minute.

Vercoutre was saved by his post after the interval when Ferland Mendy unleashed a curled strike from 20 meters (yards), and Caen responded through Enzo Crivelli's header, which hit the woodwork in the 58th.

Lyon finally broke the deadlock near the hour-mark when Bertrand Traore connected with a cross from Mendy and slotted home for his seventh league goal this season.

Ocampos, Mitroglou fire Marseille past Tolouse

Marseille began the day in third, 14 places and 27 places better off than their relegation-threatened hosts and took the lead inside ten minutes when Ocampos turned home from close range following a Maxime Lopez free-kick (10'). It looked like Toulouse were going to be in for a long evening when Luiz Gustavo forced a fine reaction save from talented teenaged TFC goalkeeper Alban Lafont (15') before Valère Germain flashed a volley narrowly wide (18'), but Mickaël Debève's men found themselves back on level terms soon after, with Firmin Mubele stealing in behind Hiroki Sakai to poke Issiaga Sylla's cross beyond Lafont's opposite number, Steve Mandanda (19'). Le Téfécé could even have carried a lead into the interval with Yaya Sanogo hitting the joint of the OM goal (33') and Max-Alain Gradel forcing a good save from Mandanda with a powerful free-kick (38') but Marseille held on and the sides went in for their half-time oranges with the honours even.

Toulouse started the second half as they had ended the first: the brighter of them two sides, and Sanogo was unlucky to see Mandanda turn another effort around the post having met Giannelli Imbula's cross ahead of Rolando (47'). The former Arsenal man was denied again just past the hour when Mandanda stopped another shot with his foot (62'). Mandanda had barely recovered from that scare when he was called into action to thwart Imbula from metres out (63'). As Toulouse's legs began to tire there were chances at the other end, though. Lafont pulled off a terrific double save to deny Germain and Gustavo in quick succession (74'), but there was nothing he could do about Mitroglou's strike, with the big Greek turning home at the back post just 35 seconds after coming on for Germain (78'). Mitroglou could have grabbed a second at the death, but his header hit Lafont's post (90+1') and it ended 2-1.