Marseille’s French midfielder Dimitri Payet (L) fights for the ball with Lens’ French defender Jonathan Gradit (R) during the French L1 football match between RC Lens and Olympique de Marseille (OM) at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, northern France on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Denis Charlet / AFP)
Lens defeated Marseille 2-1 on Saturday to move to second place in Ligue 1 and pile pressure on crisis-hit leaders Paris Saint-Germain whose lead was cut to three points.
The victory was Lens’ 15th at home this season in the league against just one defeat and one draw.
Marseille slipped back to third in the table, five points behind PSG.
Skipper Seko Fofana opened the scoring for Lens after 42 minutes with a powerful, long-range shot long before Lois Openda headed in the second on the hour mark.
Dimitri Payet gave Marseille hope of getting something from their 800km trip north with a goal in the 88th minute but Lens held on.
PSG are still expected to sweep to the French title and should be too strong for relegation-threatened Troyes on Sunday even if they will be missing Lionel Messi after the World Cup-winning superstar was sanctioned for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia this week.
Both Lille and Rennes saw their push for European places stall.
Lille slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Reims with Marshall Munetsi scoring the only goal in the 21st minute. Lille remain in fifth place with 59 points.
“All the matches that we don’t win are frustrating,” said Lille coach Paulo Fonseca.
Will Still, the coach of Reims, admitted his own game plan had left himself baffled.
“This system has no name,” he smiled after halting a three-match losing streak. “It was a risk worth taking, I was tired of losing.”
Sixth-placed Rennes were beaten 2-1 in Nice for whom Gaetan Laborde and Terem Moffi were on target in the 50th and 72nd minutes as their team secured a first home win since February 10.
Benjamin Bourigeaud’s 78th-minute strike was too little, too late for Rennes who are sixth in the table.
AFP
