Décines-Charpieu (France) (AFP) – Lyon continued their fine run of form with a 3-0 win over Reims on Sunday which lifted them to second in Ligue 1, while Monaco beat Nimes to also move within two points of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Karl Toko Ekambi, Bruno Guimaraes and Moussa Dembele scored for Lyon as they made it 16 points from their last six matches to sit two points behind PSG and above Monaco and Montpellier on goal difference.
“We must continue in this vein and look upwards. We must put a run of victories together,” said Lyon coach Rudi Garcia.
“This is the first time that we have won three times in a row. As in Angers (last week), we had an opportunity to (move up the) table. We seized it.”
Lille can leapfrog Lyon, Monaco and Montpellier if they win at Saint-Etienne later on Sunday.
PSG gave the chasing pack a chance to cut the gap in the title race with a 2-2 home draw against Bordeaux on Saturday, having blown a two-goal lead to lose to Monaco last week.
Reims, who had Moreto Cassama sent off on 33 minutes, remain fourth from bottom and look destined for a relegation dog-fight.
Toko Ekambi, returning from suspension, proved the key for Lyon, hitting the post early on before scoring the opener in the 22nd minute with a header at the back post from a cross by Memphis Depay.
He also created the second — Guimaraes’s first for Lyon — four minutes after the break, the Brazilian’s shot taking a deflection off Marshall Munetsi.
Toko Ekambi also teed up Dembele for the third shortly after he came on as a substitute for Tino Kadewere who had hit the post in the first half and had a goal ruled out for offside.
Cassama was sent off for a foul on Depay when he looked to be in on goal.
Later in the day, Monaco eased to a 3-0 victory over Nimes to notch their fourth straight league win.
Young midfielder Sofiane Diop gave the hosts an early lead at the Stade Louis II, before Gelson Martins and Kevin Volland both struck in the second half to see off Nimes, who had Lucas Deaux dismissed in the 69th minute.
Germany striker Volland has now scored five Ligue 1 goals for Monaco since his close-season move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Fourth-placed Montpellier also extended their winning streak to four matches as Petar Skuletic scored late on to grab a 1-0 win at Lorient, despite midfielder Teji Savanier’s missed penalty in the first half.
