Title race goes to wire as Lille held, PSG win | OneFootball

Neymar and Kylian Mbappé both scored as Paris Saint-Germain ensured the 2020/21 Ligue 1 Uber Eats title race will go down to the last 90 minutes of the campaign as they defeated Reims to move to within a point of leaders Lille, held at home by Saint-Etienne. Monaco and Lyon also won, the latter relegating Nîmes in the progress, to leave the top four separated by four points.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 4-0 REIMS

The reigning French champions were under pressure as Reims came to the Parc des Princes, but Mauricio Pochettino's men, who had to win to ensure they had a chance of pipping Lille to this season's crown, quickly seized the intiative.

Yunes Abdelhamid stopped Mbappé's goalbound shot with a hand, and after referee Clément Turpin had reduced the visitors to 10 men, Neymar slotted home his fifth strike this season from the penalty spot (13').

Mbappé has been singularly more prolific, and his 26th of the campaign soon followed when he intercepted an ill-judged pass across his own penalty area by Thomas Foket and fired crisply beyond Predrag Rajkovic in the Reims goal (24').

Mbappé and Neymar both had chances to add to the scoreline, but it wasn't until Marquinhos headed a corner from his fellow Brazilian past Rajkovic (68') and substitute Moise Kean added a late fourth (89') that Pochettino's men put the seal on the win that leaves them a point behind Lille ahead of next week's trip to Brest.

LILLE 0-0 SAINT-ETIENNE

Had results gone for them, Lille could have claimed their fourth top-flight title with a positive result at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, but Christophe Galtier saw his current charges toil against his former side.

Lille boasted only the seventh-best home record in the division since the turn of the year, and it showed as they struggled against a Saint-Etienne side — bossed by former Lille coach Claude Puel — that had won its last two league outings.

An early Denis Bouanga shot turned away by Mike Maignan (9') set the tone for a tough evening as Lille failed to test visiting 'keeper Etienne Green in the opening 45 minutes, and only managed to get their first shot on target shortly before the hour mark through Boubakary Soumaré's long-range effort (56').

Lille had taken a league-high 12 points in the last 10 minutes of matches this term, but were unable to work their magic this time leaving their destiny still in their own hands — but only just — ahead of next Sunday's encounter in Angers.

MONACO 2-1 RENNES

Wissam ben Yedder and Aleksandr Golovin's first-half goals set Monaco en route to a 2-1 win over Rennes that keeps the principality club in third place and with an outside chance of lifting the title.

The principality club sealed their place in the Coupe de France final in midweek and rode that wave into a strong start at the Stade Louis II.

Ben Yedder finished off a counter-attack in which Golovin played a central role to open the scoring (16'), and the Russia international then doubled his side's lead shortly afterwards, stepping around Steven Nzonzi — back in the Rennes line-up after suspension — and his shot took a helpful deflection off Damien Da Silva on its way past Alfred Gomis (29').

A Gomis save from a Kevin Volland header early in the second half kept Rennes, who were looking for points in their challenge for sixth place and UEFA Europa Conference League qualification, in the game; Benjamin Bourigeaud's header got them right back into it (68').

Monaco held out though, helped by Da Silva's red card for a wild challenge on Fodé Ballo-Touré (85'), to remain in control of their podium ambitions — and UEFA Champions League qualification — before they go to Lens next weekend three points off top spot.

NÎMES 2-5 LYON

Lyon knew they must win to carry their hopes of a top-three finish into the final game of the campaign. They did so despite Moussa Koné putting Nîmes, who needed to win and for other results to go for them to avoid the drop, in front just five minutes into the match at the Stade des Costières.

Lyon responded quickly. Maxwel Cornet's shot was deflected into the path of Lucas Paqueta, and the Brazil international continued his fine finale to the season with a low shot for his eighth strike of the campaign (9').

Houssem Aouar and Karl Toko-Ekambi both had chances to beat Baptiste Reynet, but failed to do so. Instead, Memphis Depay did with a crisp shot after good work from Léo Dubois (21') to put Rudi Garcia's fourth-placed men, who started the day a point behind Monaco, in front.

Reynet denied Toko-Ekambi before Paqueta soon made it 3-1, pouncing after Reynet had pushed out a Dubois shot (24') to all but kill the game off barely halfway through the opening period.

Unbeaten in their previous 16 away games in the top flight, Lyon hit cruising altitude when Aouar fired home early in the second half (55'), and though Koné pulled one back (62'), Islam Slimani came off the bench to net a fifth (88') and give OL hope they can sneak into the top three when they host Nice next Sunday.

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