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Décines-Charpieu (France) (AFP)
Lille stuttered to a 1-1 draw at struggling Saint-Etienne on Sunday to overlook the prospect to attract degree on factors with Paris Saint-Germain on the high of Ligue 1, however the remainder of the chasers took benefit of the defending champions’ newest slip-up.
Lille sit second within the desk, two factors behind PSG — who drew 2-2 with Bordeaux on Saturday — and above Lyon, Monaco and Montpellier on objective distinction.
Lyon continued their high-quality type with a 3-0 win over Reims, whereas Monaco beat Nimes by the identical scoreline to additionally transfer inside two factors of PSG, whereas Montpellier edged out Lorient.
Lille would have hoped to take all three factors from a Saint-Etienne facet on a seven-match dropping streak within the league earlier than kick-off.
However Christophe Galtier’s workforce fell behind to a first-half penalty from Tunisian Wahbi Khazri and wanted a second-half strike from Jonathan Ikone to rescue a draw.
Karl Toko Ekambi, Bruno Guimaraes and Moussa Dembele scored for Lyon as they made it 16 factors from their final six matches.
“We should proceed on this vein and look upwards. We should put a run of victories collectively,” stated Lyon coach Rudi Garcia.
“That is the primary time that we have now received 3 times in a row. As in Angers (final week), we had a possibility to (transfer up the) desk. We seized it.”
PSG gave the chasing pack an opportunity to chop the hole with a 2-2 residence draw towards Bordeaux on Saturday, having blown a two-goal result in lose to Monaco final week.
Reims, who had Moreto Cassama despatched off on 33 minutes, stay fourth from backside and look destined for a relegation dog-fight.
Toko Ekambi, getting back from suspension, proved the important thing for Lyon, hitting the submit early on earlier than scoring within the twenty second minute with a header on the again submit from a cross by Memphis Depay.
Toko Ekambi additionally created the second — Guimaraes’s first for Lyon — 4 minutes after the break, the Brazilian’s shot taking a deflection off Marshall Munetsi.
Toko Ekambi additionally teed up Dembele for the third. Dembele had simply come on as an alternative choice to Tino Kadewere who had hit the submit within the first half and had a objective dominated out for offside.
Cassama was despatched off for a foul on Depay who in on objective.
– Monaco march on –
Monaco eased to victory over Nimes to notch their fourth straight league win.
Younger midfielder Sofiane Diop gave the hosts an early lead on the Stade Louis II, earlier than Gelson Martins and Kevin Volland struck within the second half to see off Nimes, who had Lucas Deaux dismissed within the 69th minute.
Germany striker Volland has scored 5 Ligue 1 objectives for Monaco since his close-season transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
The principality outfit have completed ninth and seventeenth within the final two seasons and coach Niko Kovac was wanting to play down any ideas of a repeat of their shock 2017 title triumph.
“The title? Not after 12 video games, we’re not there, no,” stated the Croatian.
“It is a good interval for us, we have now to maintain working, we’re a younger workforce. We can even lose matches.”
Fifth-placed Montpellier additionally prolonged their profitable streak to 4 matches as Petar Skuletic scored late on to seize a 1-0 win at Lorient, regardless of midfielder Teji Savanier’s missed penalty within the first half.
Marseille, who’ve additionally received 4 league matches on the spin, are solely 4 factors behind PSG in sixth, with two video games in hand.
© 2020 AFP
