Jonathan David scored his 15th Ligue 1 goal of the season as Lille drew at Brest on Sunday (LOIC VENANCE)
Canadian striker Jonathan David continued his superb form in front of goal as Lille drew 1-1 away to fellow Champions League contenders Brest in Ligue 1 on Sunday, while Japan’s Junya Ito was the match-winner for Reims.
David finished cleverly from an Angel Gomes assist to give Lille the lead midway through the second half in Brittany.
It was David’s 22nd goal of the season in all competitions, and his 15th since the turn of the calendar year.
The 24-year-old has netted 10 times in his team’s last nine Ligue 1 outings. His total of 15 in Ligue 1 this season is bettered only by Kylian Mbappe, who has 21 for Paris Saint-Germain.
However, that goal was not enough to win the game, as Uruguayan striker Martin Satriano poked in a late equaliser for a Brest side who had seen Romain Del Castillo hit the post in the first half.
Brest remain second, but this was a second straight game without a win for them, and leaders PSG can stretch their lead at the top of the table to 12 points with victory at Montpellier later.
Monaco could have climbed above Brest into second with a win at home to Lorient, but they were held to a 2-2 draw after Tiemoue Bakayoko headed in a 95th-minute equaliser for the struggling away side in the principality.
Wilfried Singo’s own goal had given Lorient a first-minute lead, only for Formose Mendy’s own goal and a Youssouf Fofana effort to turn the game around before Bakayoko’s leveller in a game both teams ended with 10 men.
Monaco remain third, three points above Lille who reclaimed fourth from Nice, 3-1 winners at Lens on Saturday.
The top three in Ligue 1 go straight into next season’s new, expanded Champions League, with fourth entering the competition in the third qualifying round.
– Marseille beaten –
Rennes boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe with a 2-0 win at home to Marseille, as Martin Terrier fired the hosts ahead in the first half and Benjamin Bourigeaud added a late penalty.
Marseille had recorded five straight wins in all competitions under new coach Jean-Louis Gasset before a 3-1 defeat away to Villarreal in the Europa League on Thursday.
That did not stop them progressing to the quarter-finals of that competition, where they will face Benfica.
However, this loss leaves Marseille in seventh place in Ligue 1, ahead of Rennes only on goal difference, with both sides three points adrift of the final European qualifying spot.
Japan star Ito fired in a superb 79th-minute strike to give Reims a 2-1 win over Metz which keeps his club in contention to qualify for Europe.
Oumar Diakite had put Reims in front early on but Arthur Atta equalised before the decisive goal from Ito, who was left out of the Japan squad to face North Korea in upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Ito left the Asian Cup last month after Japanese police said he was under investigation over an alleged sexual assault in Osaka last year.
The player denies the allegation and is suing his accusers for 200 million yen ($1.3 million) in damages.
Reims coach Will Still described the 31-year-old winger as “mentally strong and faithful to himself”.
“I take into consideration the human being when he is at the club,” Still added of the player who moved to Reims from Belgian side Genk in July 2022.
“We have been there for him. He has been there for us.
“He is a key player. Undoubtedly one of the best Japanese players at the moment.
“We need our important players to win us matches sometimes, if we are not able to do so collectively.”
Bottom side Clermont kept their outside survival hopes alive by beating Le Havre 2-1 with a brace from Muhammed Cham either side of an Andre Ayew strike for the away side.
It was Clermont’s first win since the recent appointment of Sebastien Bichard as joint-coach with Pascal Gastien, who had previously been in sole charge.
However, they remain six points from safety.
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