Lens reclaims top spot in Ligue 1 from PSG
Striker Odsonne Édouard scored with a header in each half as Lens beat Nice 2-0 at home on Sunday to move back ahead of Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1. Édouard gave surprise front-runner Lens a 15th-minute lead with a brilliant glancing header from Matthieu Udol’s cross and nodded in another left-wing cross from Udol in the 57th.
The northern club is one point ahead of defending champion PSG after 16 rounds. Next weekend sees French Cup matches, before Ligue 1 resumes in early January. “We’ll try to stay there as long as possible. One thing is for certain: we will be top at Christmas, which is great for all the families and the people from the region,” Lens coach Pierre Sage said.
“Udol has assisted on three goals in two games. The first goal was amazing, the cross was good but the header was awesome.” Marseille needed to beat Monaco later Sunday to reclaim third place from Lille on goal difference. Iit was a ninth straight defeat in all competitions for a Nice side in total disarray.
Despite considerable backing from chemicals giant Ineos, which took over six years ago, Nice is unable to find the right formula and some fans have confronted the players. Nice is 13th in Ligue 1 and also last in the Europa League group stage after losing all six games so far. Lille won 4-3 at Auxerre in a chaotic match that saw four players sent off — two from each side.
Lille led early on through Iceland midfielder Hakon Haraldsson but had central defender Nathan Ngoy sent off in the 39th, then conceded an equalizer when striker Lassine Sinayoko struck in the 57th. Three minutes later, Auxerre defender Clément Apka was shown a second yellow card and both sides had 10 men.
Auxerre went ahead in the 66th when Lille center back Chancel Mbemba scored into his own net while trying to clear the ball. Midfielder Nabil Bentaleb netted with a powerful strike to make it 2-2 in the 77th and Lille went in front moments later when 18-year-old substitute Soriba Diaoune grabbed his first career goal after replacing 39-year-old veteran Olivier Giroud — France’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals.
Auxerre equalized with a penalty from Sinayoko in the 83rd, only for Lille captain Benjamin André to hit what proved to be the winner three minutes after that. Lille defender Romain Perraud and Auxerre midfielder Oussama El-Azzouzi were sent off shortly after for fighting on the touchline. Lille’s win moved it provisionally three points ahead of Marseille.
Czech midfielder Pavel Sulc’s seventh goal of the season helped Lyon beat Le Havre 1-0 and move up to fifth place. After Lyon goalkeeper Dominik Greif saved Issa Soumaré’s penalty in the 38th minute, Sulc scored early in the second half with a diving header from Afonso Moreira’s cross. Strasbourg snapped a run of three straight league losses but could only draw 0-0 at home to Lorient. On Saturday, PSG showcased its flourishing youth academy in a 3-2 win at Metz.
