PARIS (AP) — Unbeaten Paris Saint-Germain moved seven points clear at the top of the French league with a 3-1 win against Lyon on Sunday that was marred and briefly interrupted by homophobic chanting.
PSG got off to a great start at the Parc des Princes and led 2-0 after 14 minutes thanks to goals from Ousmane Dembélé, and Vitinha from the penalty spot.
The visitors gradually got into the game and played with more verve as Georges Mikautadze pulled one back for Lyon before the interval. PSG was in control in the second half and Gonzalo Ramos sealed the win in the 88th with an agile finish from close range.
Second-place Marseille and Monaco, which were held to draws on Saturday, are tied on points behind PSG. Lyon remained in fifth place, 12 points off the pace.
Referee Benoît Bastien stopped play in the 53rd minute at the Parc des Princes with host PSG leading 2-1 after the chants were heard. PSG captain Achraf Hakimi approached fans standing in the Auteuil stand behind one of the goals to ask them to stop. A message reminding fans that discriminatory chants are forbidden was then displayed on the stadium’s giant screens.
Play eventually resumed after a few minutes.
Perfect week for Brest
Following its 1-0 win against PSV on Tuesday, the surprise package of the Champions League followed up with a 4-1 defeat of Nantes in the French league on Sunday.
Substitute Abdallah Sima scored a brace after Kamory Doumbia and Brendan Chardonnet gave Brest a 2-0 halftime lead. Douglas Augusto was on the score sheet for Nantes.
Last season, Brest secured the final automatic berth for French clubs in the Champions League with a third-place finish. The club’s results on the domestic scene have not been as good this season and Brest had lost four of its five previous league matches.
The attack-minded Brittany side remains in 11th place, one point behind Reims. Nantes is 14th.
Nice draws at Montpellier
Nice twice failed to hold on to its lead in a 2-2 draw at struggling Montpellier.
Three days after conceding a late goal in a 2-1 loss against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League, Nice missed the chance to cut the gap with its rivals in the race for European spots.
Nice remained in sixth place, six points behind Marseille and Monaco.
Last-place Montpellier will have regrets, too, after missing several chances in the last 10 minutes. It was a lively contest at the Stade de La Mosson, with the teams mustering a combined total of 38 scoring attempts.
Back to action after a months-long absence and several injuries, defender Theo Sainte-Luce leveled the score at 2-2 in the 80th for Montpellier. He came close to a brace but his attempt from a corner in the 90th was off target.
“I’ve been through some tough challenges and hard times,” Sainte-Luce said. “So being rewarded like this definitely feels good.”
In other matches, Rennes beat Angers 2-0 and Strasbourg won 3-0 at Le Havre.
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The Associated Press
