Lens wins to go level on points with second-placed Marseille in Ligue 1

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PARIS (AP) — Strike partners Odsonne Édouard and Wesley Saïd scored a goal each as Lens beat Lorient 3-0 at home to move level on points with second-placed Marseille in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Marseille is ahead on goal difference with both sides on 22 points and two behind leader Paris Saint-Germain after 11 rounds.

Sixth-placed Lyon missed the chance to move level on points with Marseille and Lens after drawing 0-0 at Brest.

Lyon played most of the match with 10 players after Dutch defender Hans Hateboer was sent off in the seventh minute for a dangerous challenge. He was initially shown a yellow card but it was upgraded to red following a video review.

Also Sunday, veteran striker Olivier Giroud returned to start for Lille, but it was fellow forward Félix Correira who scored in a 1-0 home win against Angers.

Summer signing Esteban Lepaul scored a hat trick to add to his goal in midweek as Rennes beat seventh-placed Strasbourg 4-1 at home, while 18-year-old striker Mohamed Kader Meïté got the other Rennes goal. The win took pressure off coach Habib Beye, whose position had been under threat following an inconsistent start to the season.

Strasbourg coach Liam Rosenior has seen Lepaul score seven goals in three matches against his side — including when Lepaul played for Angers last season.

“Some players have lucky clubs, it was a fantastic performance,” Rosenior said. “He's a great striker.”

Senegal striker Habib Diallo and Georgian forward Giorgi Abuashvili scored late as Metz won 2-0 at Nantes to move off the bottom and put Auxerre in last place.

Toulouse player Aron Dønnum was accused of making a racist gesture by Le Havre coach Didier Digard following a 0-0 draw between the teams.

Digard told French broadcaster Ligue 1+ after the game that he thought Dønnum made a racist gesture with his hand toward Le Havre midfielder Simon Ebonog, who is Black, after the two players argued with each other.

Dønnum said his gesture had “nothing to do with racism” and Toulouse issued a statement, saying it condemned “unfounded and particularly serious accusations.”

On Saturday, PSG scored seconds from the end of stoppage time to beat Nice 1-0 and avoid a fourth draw in five league games. ___

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