Lille crash to defeat at Troyes, Rennes beat Saint-etienne to keep CL course
Troyes inched closer to securing safety by moving five points clear of the relegation zone just a year ater gaining promotion. Lille are six points off a Europa Conference League playoff spot with just three rounds let
Mid-table Lille had their European hopes dashed when they had two players sent off and conceded three penalties in a 3-0 defeat at Troyes in the French league on Sunday.
Troyes captain Florian Tardieu converted a controversial penalty in the 43rd minute ater Lille winger Edon Zhegrova was deemed to have tripped Tristan Dingome.
Lille were reduced to ten men in the 50th when Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches received two yellow cards in quick succession for dissent. Sanches seemed to question the referee’s eyesight by puting his hands around his eyes to mimic binoculars.
Troyes striker Ike Ugbo doubled the lead in the 55th by firing a spot kick into the roof of the net ater Lille centreback Sven Botman brought him down.
Lille lost another player in the 68th when Turkey forward Burak Yilmaz tackled Tardieu from behind.
Tardieu sealed the win with a third penalty in the 86th ater Lille midfielder Benjamin Andre made a poor challenge on substitute Yasser Larouci.
Troyes inched closer to securing safety by moving five points clear of the relegation zone just a year ater gaining promotion.
Lille are six points off a Europa Conference League playoff spot with just three rounds let. Strikers Yilmaz and Jonathan David led Lille to the league title last year but have been misfiring this season. Yilmaz and David have scored only one goal each in all competitions this year.
RENNES WIN : Rennes pulled within three points of second-placed Marseille in the French race for Champions League spots ater Lovro Majer scored twice to help beat relegationthreatened Saint-etienne 2-0 on Saturday.
Rennes struggled to break down a stubborn Saint-etienne defense until Majer chested a ball down to fire into the botom corner in the 41st minute.
The Croatia international scored again in the 84th by beating goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni from close range.
Rennes goalkeeper Dogan Alemdar kept a clean sheet by saving a shot from Arnaud Nordin in the 48th.
The top two French clubs enter the group stage of the Champions League while the thirdplaced team goes to the third qualifying round.
Saint-etienne remained in the relegation zone, two points from safety.
Meanwhile, 10-man Lens salvaged a 2-2 draw with Nantes to keep its slim European hopes alive.
The host was down to 10 men from the 18th when goalkeeper Jean-louis Leca was sent off for fouling Moses Simon outside the area. Chasing a clearance, Simon outsprinted Lens defender Jonathan Gradit and beat Leca to the ball.
Lens stayed in seventh place, four points off a Europa League spot.
Nantes moved into ninth place and will have a beter chance of geting a European spot when it faces Nice in the French Cup final next weekend.
Simon outpaced the Lens defense to open the scoring with an angled strike in the eighth minute.
The Nigeria international scored again from a rebound in the 32nd ater backup goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez saved a long-range strike from Wylan Cyprien.
Lens midfielder David Pereira Da Costa pulled one back with a first-time effort in the 68th, and substitute Arnaud Kalimuendo equalized from the penalty spot in the 81st ater Nantes goalkeeper Alban Lafont brought down Wesley Said.