Marseille beat lowly Dijon but still 'work in progress'

Paris (AFP) – Marseille condemned bottom side Dijon to an 11th defeat in a row but coach Jorge Sampaoli said there was lots of room for improvement following Sunday’s 2-0 victory in Ligue 1.

Leonardo Balerdi powered in a header at a corner in first-half stoppage time and Alvaro Gonzalez nodded in a second from another Dimitri Payet cross on 79 minutes.

Marseille climbed to within a point of fifth-placed Lens, who drew 1-1 with title hopefuls Lyon on Saturday.

“The players are working to understand a new system, it will take time,” said Sampaoli, whose side won for the third time in four games since the Argentine took charge last month.

“The objective will get closer through the progress we make. We have to play better. We want to help the team go as high as possible but by playing, by attacking.

“Then we can talk about the goal in terms of the table. What we’re working on is to put in place a playing philosophy to live up to the history of this club.”

Dijon have just 15 points after two wins in 31 games and are destined for the second division, lying 14 points adrift of the relegation play-off spot.

Lille moved three points clear of Paris Saint-Germain at the top following a 1-0 win at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, in which Neymar was sent off just before the end.

Monaco are a point back of PSG after routing Metz 4-0 with Lyon another point behind with seven rounds of matches remaining in France.