Mario Balotelli was sent off for the third time this season in Ligue 1 as Nice leapfrogged Paris Saint-Germain into second place in the table after a 1-0 win at bottom club Lorient.

Balotelli, a free signing from Liverpool last summer, was shown a straight red card for dissent in the 68th minute.

Manager Lucien Favre revealed after the match that he warns his players not to get sent off or give away a penalty before he sends his side out for games.

Mario Balotelli was shown a straight red card by referee Tony Chapron in the second half

The Italian striker was sent off for the third time this season for dissent towards match officials

MARIO BALOTELLI MADNESS It's not the first time Mario Balotelli has obeyed his manager's instruction regarding seeing red. Mourinho revealed he told Balotelli not to get a red card during the half-time break but the Italian was sent in for an early bath just a minute after the interval. Mourinho said: 'I could write a book of 200 pages of my two years at Inter with Mario, but the book would not be a drama – it would be a comedy. 'I remember one time when we went to play Kazan in the Champions League. In that match I had all my strikers injured. No Diego Milito, no Samuel Eto’o, I was really in trouble and Mario was the only one. 'Mario got a yellow card in the 42nd minute, so when I got to the dressing room at half-time I spend about 14 minutes of the 15 available speaking only to Mario. 'I said to him: "Mario, I cannot change you, I have no strikers on the bench, so don’t touch anybody and play only with the ball. If we lose the ball no reaction. If someone provokes you, no reaction, if the referee makes a mistake, no reaction." 'The 46th minute – red card!' Jose Mourinho coached Balotelli during his time as head coach of Inter Milan Advertisement

'I am not like that. It's clear that going down to 10 when there are still 25 minutes to play, it's tough,' he said, via the club's website.

'Before every game, my final words in the changing rooms are to not get a red and not to give away a penalty.

'I didn't see what happened. Some words must have been said… I don't know.

'Mario had a good week in training, he was more involved, even if you need to back him up a lot because of him getting back into position.'

Nice had taken a 15th-minute lead through Wylan Cyprien's low angled shot and although Lorient went close to equalising on several occasions, through Majeed Waris and Alhassan Wakaso in particular, the visitors held on for their first away win since November.

Balotelli was dismissed against Lorient in October and received a straight red at Bordeaux

Balotelli, who has scored 11 goals for Nice this season, was dismissed for two yellow cards against Lorient in October and received a straight red card in the goalless draw at Bordeaux in December.

In a 4pm kick-off, Marseille beat Rennes 2-0 at home to stay sixth, but they moved level on points with St Etienne.

Clinton N'Jie marked his return to the side following African Nations Cup duty with Cameroon by breaking the deadlock just before the hour-mark and Newcastle midfielder Florian Thauvin, in his second season on loan with Marseille, added the second five minutes later.

Wylan Cyprien scored the only goal of the game 15 minutes into the first half

Nice moved to within three points of leaders Monaco, who drew with Bastia on Friday

Nice moved up to second in the table but PSG can reclaim it by beating Toulouse on Sunday

Rennes, who had drawn their previous five league games, are without a win in their last 10.

Jonathan Bamba's early goal was enough to secure Angers a 1-0 home win against Nancy.

Forward Bamba fired Cheikh Ndoye's knockdown into the bottom corner in the fifth minute and Angers held on to make it back-to-back league wins.

Metz salvaged a point from a 1-1 home draw against Nantes courtesy of Cheick Diabate's stoppage-time penalty.

Nantes substitute Oswaldo Vizcarrondo was penalised for his challenge on Simon Falette and Diabate converted his spot kick into the bottom corner in the first minute of added time.

Valentin Rongier's 68th-minute strike had appeared to have been enough to clinch Nantes victory.

Lille gave their survival hopes a big boost by winning 2-0 at relegation rivals Caen despite the second-half dismissal of Adama Soumaoro.

Eric Bautheac and Anwar El Ghazi scored for Lille within 10 minutes of each other midway through the second half as Caen went down to a third straight league defeat.

Defender Soumaoro was shown a straight red card for his foul on Yassine Benzia in the 63rd minute.