Ben Yedder hat-trick helps Monaco close in on Champions League spot
PARIS: A Wissam Ben Yedder hat-trick put Monaco on the brink of securing a direct Champions League spot for next season as they stormed back to beat Brest 4-2 at home for their ninth consecutive victory in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Monaco were trailing 2-0 at their Louis II stadium ater 23 minutes but Ben Yedder reduced the arrears before the break and neted twice in four minutes early in the second half with Kevin Volland also on target to lit them up to second place on 68 points with one game let.
Olympique de Marseille slipped down to third, on goal difference, when they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Stade Rennes. Benjamin Bourigeaud and Lovro Majer found the back of the net to send Rennes up to fourth place on 65 points a week before what looks like being a nailbiting finale.
The top two teams qualify directly for the Champions League group stage while the side who finish third take part in the third qualifying round.
Paris St Germain, who were already crowned champions last month, beat Montpellier 4-0 away courtesy of a Lionel Messi double with Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe scoring the others.
Nice’s hopes of playing in the Champions League were ended when they lost 3-1 at home to Lille, who prevailed with a Jonathan David double.
Nice are sixth on 63 points. In the final round of matches, Monaco travel to RC Lens, Rennes to Lille and Marseille host Racing Strasbourg.
Botom side Girondins de Bordeaux were let on the brink of relegation ater a 0-0 draw against Lorient let them on 28 points, three points from a relegation/promotion playoff spot but with a much worse goal difference than 18th-placed Metz.
Metz were at botom for a long time but are 18th ater beating Angers 1-0 to leapfrog Saint-etienne, who lost at home to Reims 2-1 and is 19th. Metz and Saint-etienne are level on points with Metz ahead on goal difference. In other matches, striker Moussa Dembele notched his 20th league goal as Lyon beat French Cup winner Nantes 3-2 at home.
Fith-placedstrasbourgwonathometoclermont 1-0, and seventh-placed Lens beat host Troyes 3-1.
Corsican side Ajaccio was promoted from the second division while Auxerre will contest the relegation-playoff match.
In Monaco, Jean-kevin Duverne and Youcef Belaili stunned the hosts with two early goals but the principality side reacted just before the break when Ben Yedder converted a penalty ater Belaili handled the ball in the area.
France forward Ben Yedder then equalised from inside the box six minutes into the second half before heading home to put Monaco ahead.