Lille juggernaut powers to third

Lille’s phenomenal run of form continued on Sunday as they beat third-bottom Le Mans 3-0 to climb to third place in the French first division.

The northern club had scored four goals in each of their four previous league games, while also qualifying for the last 32 of the Europa League, and prevailed through goals from Aurelien Chedjou, Gervinho and Eden Hazard.

Chedjou headed Lille in front from Hazard’s 12th-minute free-kick and they could afford the luxury of a missed Florent Balmont penalty before Gervinho finished a slick move to put the hosts 2-0 up on 27 minutes.

Hazard, the 18-year-old Belgian international midfielder, stretched Lille’s advantage barely two minutes later when he ran from the centre circle before beating visiting goalkeeper Didier Ovono.

“We played a really great game,” said Balmont.

“We had a difficult start to the season but we’ve got back to work. We’ve grown in confidence and we’re on a really good run, but we have to finish well at Nancy (in their last match before the winter break).”

Victory takes Rudi Garcia’s side, who will meet Fenerbahce in the Europa League knockout stage, up to third place, nine points behind leaders Bordeaux.

Misfiring Lyon can go above Lille and level on points with second-placed Marseille if they win at Monaco in Sunday’s late kick-off.

In the day’s other match, Auxerre rescued a 1-1 draw at home to Toulouse thanks to a last-minute equaliser from Roy Contout.

Toulouse went ahead in the 21st minute when Brazilian midfielder Michel Luan scored on his first top-flight start, but away skipper Etienne Didot was sent off in the 87th minute for accumulating two yellow cards before Contout converted Daniel Niculae’s flick-on with a right-footed finish.

Auxerre climb to seventh while Toulouse, who were eliminated from the Europa League following a 1-0 group-stage defeat at Belgians Club Brugge on Thursday, move up one place to 12th.

Defending champions Bordeaux pulled clear at the top of the division after cruising to a 4-1 victory at home to Lorient on Saturday, with striker David Bellion twice on target and Yoann Gourcuff in typically influential mood.

Marseille could have closed to within six points of the leaders but they were held to a 0-0 draw at Saint-Etienne despite the home side having to play with 10 men for over 80 minutes after the eighth-minute dismissal of Greek defender Efstathios Tavlaridis.