Ligue 1 wrap: Lille extend gap, PSG held

Lille moved seven points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with a 2-1 victory at Saint-Etienne, while Paris Saint-Germain drew at home to Nancy.

League leaders Lille trailed after just five minutes when Emmanuel Riviere struck for the home side at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, but parity was restored moments later when Tulio De Melo netted his fourth goal of the season to make it 1-1 after just 15 minutes.

Riviere won a penalty for the home side some three minutes later, but Bakary Sako could not restore the advantage as Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau went the right way to deny the spot kick.

Midfielder Rio Mavuba then ensured the points for the away side with a sweetly hit strike from outside the box on 69 minutes, moving Rudi Garcia’s Lille one step closer to their first title since 1954.

Second-placed Marseille play their game in hand at home against Brest on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain’s chances of playing Champions League football next season took a dive after they could only manage a 2-2 draw at home against lowly placed Nancy.

PSG led 2-1 at half-time after Mevlut Erding and Zoumana Camara struck either side of a Landry N’Guemo penalty for Nancy.

But substitute attacker Youssouf Hadji ensured the spoils were shared with a headed finish on 68 minutes.

The draw left PSG in fourth and a point from third-placed Lyon, who also have a game in hand.