PARIS (AP) — Lille profited from a goalkeeping blunder to beat northern rival Lens 1-0 at home and move level on points with fourth-placed Nice in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo scored in the 19th minute, albeit with a lot of help from Australia goalie Mathew Ryan.
Ryan tried to dribble past Fernandez-Pardo after receiving a routine back pass and ended up getting tackled by him, leading to an open goal for the 20-year-old Belgian winger.
Ryan had earlier kept out a second-minute shot from Fernandez-Pardo after he went clean through.
Lille and Nice both have 47 points with Nice ahead on goal difference. Third-placed Marseille is only two points ahead of them in the race for a Champions League spot, with seven rounds remaining and the top four qualifying.
Earlier, Abdoulaye Touré scored two penalties against his former club as Le Havre beat Nantes 3-2 to claim a vital win in its relegation fight.
The 31-year-old Touré was born in Nantes and came through the club’s youth academy before playing nearly 150 league games for the club from 2013-21. He scored his penalties either side of a goal for Nantes from Saïdou Sow.
Moses Simon made it 2-2 shortly after the break, but defender Timothée Pembélé grabbed Le Havre’s winner in the 88th minute.
The victory moved Le Havre into 16th place, which is the relegation-playoff position in the 18-team league.
Brest holds on
Brittany-based Brest withstood a comeback before winning 4-2 at Toulouse.
Goals from Justin Bourgault, Mathias Pereira Lage and Kamory Doumbia put Brest 3-0 ahead, but Toulouse hit back through goals from midfielder Vincent Sierro and striker Joshua King.
Brest wrapped it up when Mahdi Camara turned in Pereira Lage’s 90th-minute cross.
Other matches
Forward Arnaud Kalimuendo scored twice to reach 13 league goals as Rennes won 3-0 at lowly Angers to move closer to midtable security.
Florian Ayé’s late goal gave Auxerre a 1-0 win against rock-bottom Montpellier, which edged closed toward relegation after a seventh straight defeat.
PSG one point from title
Unbeaten Paris Saint-Germain moved within touching distance of a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title after overwhelming Saint-Etienne 6-1 on Saturday.
PSG only needs a draw at home to Angers next Saturday to clinch the title. ___
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