Lille continues to push for a Champions League place with win at Angers

By Canadian Press on April 27, 2025.

PARIS (AP) — Lille kept pushing for an automatic spot in next season’s Champions League with a 2-0 win at Angers in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Lille moved provisionally into second place ahead of Marseille’s home game against Brest later Sunday, where Marseille needed only a draw to reclaim second spot on goal difference.

The top three sides in France qualify automatically for the Champions League, with the side finishing fourth entering qualifying.

Brazilian defender Alexsandro put Lille ahead in first-half stoppage time when he headed in Hakon Haraldsson’s free kick from the right.

Haraldsson doubled Lille’s lead shortly after halftime when he was set up by striker Chuba Akpom.

Monaco dropped points on Saturday following a 1-1 draw at lowly Le Havre, while Lyon, Nice and Strasbourg all won their games to close the gap in the race for Europe.

Nantes closer to safety

Nantes picked up a useful point in its fight to avoid relegation following a 0-0 draw with Toulouse.

Toulouse held on despite having French striker Noah Edjouma sent off late in the first half and avoided a sixth straight loss.

But Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed fluffed a golden chance from three meters out midway through the second half.

Nantes is in 14th place and four points clear of Le Havre in 16th and the relegation-promotion playoff spot with only three games left.

Other matches

Rock-bottom Montpellier was already relegated on Saturday because of Le Havre’s draw but at least stopped a 12th consecutive defeat with a 0-0 home draw with Reims.

Also, midtable Auxerre romped to a 4-0 win at Lens with two goals from striker Ado Onaiwu and one each from forward Gaëtan Perrin and Dutch defender Ki-Jana Hoever. ___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press

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