Canadian star Jonathan David scored his twenty third purpose of the season to set Lille on the way in which to a 3-1 win over Marseille on Friday that stored them firmly on the right track for subsequent season’s Champions League.
David’s penalty put Lille forward early within the second half. Remy Cabella doubled their lead on 71 minutes by scoring towards his former membership.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang claimed a purpose again for Marseille, however substitute Gabriel Gudmundsson made certain of the victory for Lille late on.
The northern aspect, who face Aston Villa subsequent week of their first ever European quarter-final within the Europa Convention League, transfer as much as third in Ligue 1 forward of the remainder of the weekend’s matches.
They’re some extent behind second-placed Brest and forward of Monaco in fourth on purpose distinction, with the hole to Good in fifth now six factors.
The highest three in Ligue 1 will qualify robotically for subsequent season’s expanded Champions League, with the workforce in fourth coming into Europe’s elite membership competitors within the preliminary rounds.
Marseille are seventh, which can but be sufficient to sneak into Europe subsequent season relying on who wins the French Cup, however they’re an enormous 10 factors adrift of the highest 4 and solely have six matches left to play.
OM, who face Benfica in Portugal within the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final subsequent week, have misplaced 4 straight in all competitions.
Previous to that, that they had recorded 5 wins on the bounce following the appointment of Jean-Louis Gasset as their third coach this season.
Lille have been searching for to increase a formidable dwelling report which had seen them lose simply one in all their earlier 37 matches on the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, going again to August 2022.
They went forward 9 minutes after the break when David transformed from the spot after he had been fouled within the field by Samuel Gigot.
Sixteen of his objectives have are available Ligue 1, with solely Kylian Mbappe, who has 24 for Paris Saint-Germain, scoring extra.
Cabella curled in a pleasant shot to make it 2-0 for Paulo Fonseca’s spectacular workforce, earlier than Aubameyang gave Marseille a glimmer of hope, showing to get the final contact as Lille’s defence made a large number of clearing their strains.
Shortly after that, within the 84th minute, Gudmundsson swept in Lille’s third purpose as they ready in the very best method for subsequent Thursday’s journey to Villa Park.
Brest host struggling Metz on Sunday, with Monaco entertaining Rennes and Good going to Reims later the identical day.
Leaders PSG are at dwelling to backside aspect Clermont on Saturday.
AFP
