Last-gasp Lille close on Champions League

Lille took control of the race for Champions League qualification with a thrilling 3-2 victory over newly anointed French champions Marseille on the season’s penultimate day on Saturday.

Rivals Lyon rescued a 2-2 draw at Valenciennes, while Auxerre were held to a goalless stalemate at home to Lens.

Lille hold onto second place, two points above third-placed Auxerre, while Lyon stay fourth, four points shy of Lille, but with a game in hand at home to Monaco on May 12.

Lyon host relegated Le Mans on the final day, with Auxerre visiting Sochaux and Lille travelling to Lorient.

Lille coach Rudy Garcia hailed the mental strength of his team, saying it had “attacking talent”.

“There was also a change in tactics at half-time,” Garcia said. “We have to win out next game if we want to stay second. In the worst case scenario, we would be fourth. We’ll strap ourselves up, count the wounded and go to Lorient with lots of ambition.”

Lyon coach Claude Puel said he was content with his side’s draw.

“It’s a good point to take because we equalised in stoppage time,” he said.

“We’re fortunately in control of our destiny for third place but we’ll have to recover well for the match against Monaco.”

Montpellier climbed to fifth, behind Lyon on goal difference, by beating Lorient 2-1, while deposed champions Bordeaux kept their hopes of securing a top-five finish alive by beating Sochaux 1-0.

The top three qualify for the Champions League, with the teams finishing fourth and fifth entering the Europa League.

With Marseille having claimed their first French title in 18 years with a 3-1 win over Rennes on Wednesday and the relegation places already settled, European qualification is the only issue to be settled in Ligue 1.

Lille hosted Marseille hoping to take advantage of any fatigue created by the visitors’ title celebrations, but they fell behind in the sixth minute when Mamadou Niang curled a lovely shot into the top-right corner.

Marseille had goalkeeper Steve Mandanda sent off in the 28th minute after he felled Gervinho inside the penalty area, with Yohan Cabaye converting the ensuing spotkick, but Didier Deschamps’s side restored their lead in first-half injury time when Vitorino Hilton smashed home.

Lille drew level through Tulio De Melo with 10 minutes to play though and secured a victory that takes them to the brink of the Champions League when right-back Mathieu Debuchy converted a corner at the near post in the fourth minute of injury time.

Debuchy dislocated his shoulder scoring the winning goal and had to be stretchered off.

At Valenciennes, Sweden midfielder Kim Kallstrom fired this season’s Champions League semi-finalists Lyon into a 17th-minute lead with a thumping half-volley from the edge of the area.

The hosts turned the game around with two goals in 10 minutes late in the second half, as Johan Audel headed the equaliser in the 71th minute before Renaud Cohade put them in front with an 81st-minute penalty.

But Bobo Balde unfortunately deflected Lisandro Lopez’s shot past his own goalkeeper in injury time to rescue an important point for the visitors.

Montpellier, promoted from Ligue 2 last season, prevailed over Lorient thanks to a pair of first-half penalties from Victor Hugo Montano and Souleymane Camara.

The south coast club will take a two-point lead over Bordeaux into the season’s final day after Laurent Blanc’s side beat Sochaux via a cool 66th-minute penalty by Wendel and a fine late strike from Benoit Tremoulinas.

Marouane Chamakh, playing in his last game at Stade Chaban-Delmas prior to his anticipated move to Arsenal, received a standing ovation after being substituted in the second half.

“I’ve had some great moments here, eight years as a professional,” he said afterwards. “There’s lots of emotion.”

Paris Saint-Germain will play in the Europa League next season after beating Monaco in last month’s French Cup final but they sank to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at third-bottom Le Mans.

Elsewhere, Rennes drew 2-2 at home to Nice, Monaco defeated Nancy 2-1 in their final home game of the season, bottom club Grenoble beat second-bottom Boulogne 2-0 and Toulouse won 1-0 at Saint-Etienne.