Lille back on top after six-goal rout of Lorient

Senegal striker Moussa Sow claimed a hat-trick as Lille returned to the top of the French first division with an extraordinary 6-3 win at home to Lorient in their rearranged game on Sunday.

The game had been postponed due to snow on Saturday and it was the visitors who struck first at Stadium Lille Metropole, as Kevin Gameiro raced away from France team-mate Adil Rami before beating Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau.

Gameiro claimed a second in first-half injury-time, lashing home at the back post from a corner, but Lille had by that stage scored two goals of their own through Sow and a Maxime Baca own goal.

Sow restored Lille’s lead three minutes into the second half when he headed in Florent Balmont’s cross, but Lynel Kitambala made it 3-3 shortly afterwards when he converted Gameiro’s centre with a close-range volley.

Lorient were level for just a minute, however, with Gervinho quickly restoring Lille’s lead before Sow completed his hat-trick with a curler from the edge of the box and Pierre-Alain Frau tapped in late on for number six.

It was sweet revenge for Rudi Garcia’s side, who were denied a place in this season’s Champions League by a 2-1 defeat at Lorient on the final day of last season, and leaves the Brittany side 12th in the standings.

Lille move a point above Rennes, 1-0 winners at home to Monaco on Saturday, at the table summit, but champions Marseille can recapture top spot if they win at Nice later on Sunday.

Paris Saint-Germain will go ahead of second-placed Rennes on goal difference if they win at home to Brest, while 11th-placed Saint-Etienne host 10th-placed Bordeaux in Sunday’s late game.