PARIS (AP) – Marseille missed the chance to move three points clear in second place in the French league after conceding a last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw at struggling Troyes early yesterday.
Striker Yoann Touzghar profited from poor Marseille defending to slide in the equaliser after playmaker Dimitri Payet’s penalty put Marseille ahead in the 28th minute. It was Payet’s club-leading ninth league goal of the season.
Second place guarantees entry into next season’s Champions League, and Marseille is one point of Nice in third place and a playoff spot.
Defending champion Lille’s improving defence kept a third straight league clean sheet in a 1-0 win at Lyon, although the victory came only after Lyon had a late equaliser chalked off.
Lille is now eighth while Lyon dropped to 10th. Northern side Lens moved into sixth place in the chase for the European places after a 2-1 win at Angers.
Monaco lost 2-1 at home to Reims, despite striker Wissam Ben Yedder’s league-leading 15th goal to move one ahead of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe.
Lorient moved out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win at Brest as fellow strugglers Bordeaux and Metz both drew.
Last-place Bordeaux drew 1-1 at Clermont and 18th-place Metz was held 0-0 at home by Nantes. PSG beat Saint-Etienne 3-1.
