Monaco, Marseille claim welcome wins

Monaco closed in on the European places in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 win at Reims on Sunday while Marseille recorded a much-needed victory on their travels, beating Lille 2-1.

The principality club had Bernardo Silva to thank as they came away with all three points from their trip to Champagne country against a Reims side who ended the game with 10 men.

Leonardo Jardim's team opened the scoring in the 11th minute at the Stade Auguste-Delaune when Nabil Dirar crossed from the right and the diminutive Silva got up to head in his third goal of the season at the back post.

They might have added to their lead but unfortunate Argentine striker Guido Carrillo hit both posts before the interval, heading against one upright from a Joao Moutinho corner and then seeing a low deflected shot come back off the other.

Monaco were worthy winners, even if substitute Jordan Siebatcheu came close to equalising for Reims in stoppage time with a shot that beat Danijel Subasic in the away goal but rebounded back off the woodwork.

The hosts had been reduced to 10 men midway through the second half when Antoine Devaux walked for a second yellow card, as Olivier Guegan's side slumped to a third straight 1-0 defeat.

For Monaco, it was a first league win in a month and saw them make it seven matches without defeat in all competitions as they climb to eighth in the table.

"Away from home our team is very compact and very good in the transitions," said Jardim.

"We tried to score the second goal, first by playing our game, and then by trying to be more direct. We were unable to put the game to bed, but I think we deserved the victory."
Marseille, meanwhile, ended a run of seven games without a win as Michy Batshuayi and Romain Alessandrini scored to see off Lille in France's far north.

Batshuayi opened the scoring late in the first half, converting his eighth goal already this season after Alessandrini's initial attempt had come back off the post.

The Belgian then returned the favour in the second half, setting up Alessandrini for a superb curling finish high into the net to double Marseille's lead.

Sebastien Corchia pulled a goal back for LOSC but, having scored just five goals in 10 league games before this weekend, finding an equaliser proved to be beyond them.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Bordeaux recorded just their third league win of the campaign, beating winless bottom club Troyes 1-0 thanks to a late strike by 18-year-old substitute Adam Ounas.

Leaders and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain can extend their advantage at the top of the table to seven points with a win at home to Saint-Etienne in Sunday's late kick-off at the Parc des Princes.

Second-placed Angers were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Guingamp on Saturday, a result that did nevertheless allow them to stretch their unbeaten run to six matches.

Caen, in third, lost 2-0 at home to Nantes on Friday, while Lyon beat Toulouse 3-0 with goals by Sergi Darder, Mathieu Valbuena and Maxwell Cornet.

Nice's superb run of form was abruptly ended in a 3-1 defeat at previously winless Gazelec Ajaccio, while Montpellier beat Bastia 2-0 and Lorient drew 1-1 with Rennes in a Brittany derby.

Source: AFP