Ligue 1 wrap: Lyon stay in title race

Lyon leapt back to third on the Ligue 1 table with a 2-0 win at Sochaux on Saturday, while Saint-Etienne and Toulouse broke losing runs.

Lyon, who were temporarily displaced from the Champions League places by Marseille on Friday, saw off the French champions’ challenge through goals to Lisandro Lopez and Miralem Pjanic.

The result ensures the enthralling battle for the league title is set to continue with just one point separating the top four on the Ligue 1 table, while Paris Saint-Germain are also still in the running a further four points back.

Lopez needed just 22 minutes to find his 12th goal of the season for Lyon on Saturday, the prolific Argentinean side-footing a neat finish past Sochaux goalkeeper Pierrick Cros after being played through by Bafetimbi Gomis’ clever back-heel.

Pjanic doubled Lyon’s lead in the 63rd minute, the Bosnia-Herzegovina midfielder powering a left-footed shot beyond Cros from Jeremy Pied’s pass.

The win gives Lyon some welcome momentum ahead of their midweek Champions League trip to Spain to face Real Madrid, with the tie evenly poised at 1-1 after the first leg in France.

Elsewhere, Saint-Etienne ended their four-game losing streak with a 2-0 win at home to lowly Brest, while Toulouse defeated Lens 1-0 to snap their own run of four straight losses.

Bakary Sako put Saint-Etienne ahead from the penalty spot in the 35th minute, before Dimitri Payet ended a league goal drought stretching back to October with an 88th-minute strike.

Paraguayan striker Federico Santander was the hero for Toulouse, finding the net in the 74th minute for his first league goal since late December.

In other results, Lorient were held 3-3 at bottom-placed Arles, who fought back from a 3-1 deficit through goals to Yann Kermorgant (63) and Remy Cabella (80).

Camel Meriem had put Arles up in the sixth minute, before Morgan Amalfitano (19), Sigamary Diarra (45) and Kevin Gameiro (52) piled on goals for the visitors.

Nice triumphed 1-0 over Auxerre Eric Mouloungui’s 61st-minute winner, and Nancy defeated 10-man Caen 2-0 on goals to Landry N’Guemo (38) and Bakaye Traore (84).

Caen’s Malines striker Sambou Yatabare was sent marching for a second caution in the 72nd minute.