Paris Saint-Germain pulled five points clear at the top of the French league after Lille lost 3-2 at Brest on Sunday and surrendered the only remaining unbeaten record.
Lille's defeat gave Nice the chance to move into second place with a victory, but Patrick Vieira's side was beaten 2-1 at home by French Riviera rival Monaco and is in eighth place.
Despite boasting one of the best defenses, Lille trailed 3-0 at the break. The visitors failed to salvage a draw despite Turkey veteran Burak Yilmaz netting two early goals in the second half.
Lyon's Philana Tinotenda Kadewere, left, celebrates with Malo Gusto after scoring his second goal against Saint-Etienne during the French League One soccer match between Lyon and Saint-Etienne in Decines, near Lyon, central France, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP PhotoLaurent Cipriani)
Down south, defender Axel Disasi put Monaco ahead midway through the first half and Sofiane Diop made it 2-0 in the 53rd minute before fellow midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou pulled a goal back for Nice in the 69th.
That win moved 2017 champion Monaco into sixth place behind Lyon on goal difference.
Tino Kadewere came off the bench to help Lyon fight back and beat local rival Saint-Etienne 2-1 at home. The visitors took the lead when striker Denis Bouanga's cross-cum-shot was turned into his own net by Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes in the 40th.
Lyon's Philana Tinotenda Kadewere celebrates after he scored a goal against Saint-Etienne during the French League One soccer match between Lyon and Saint-Etienne in Decines, near Lyon, central France, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020. (AP PhotoLaurent Cipriani)
Kadewere showed good anticipation to meet Maxwel Cornet's cross from the left in the 65th. Nine minutes later, the Zimbabwe international scored again. He cut into the left of the penalty area and beat two defenders before finishing with a fine angled shot.
Saint-Etienne could have equalized only for Bouanga to send his 88th-minute penalty just over the crossbar. Defeat leaves former Lyon coach Claude Puel's Saint-Etienne side in 15th spot, having made a good start to the season.
The goals were flying around on Sunday, with 29 in seven matches.
Striker Florian Sotoca struck in the 90th minute and then again during injury time as Lens salvaged a 4-4 home draw against Reims.
Elsewhere, it was: Lorient 0, Nantes 2; Metz 1, Dijon 1; and Nimes 1, Angers 5.
Injury-hit PSG beat Rennes 3-0 at home on Saturday, with Angel Di Maria scoring twice but there were more players injured for PSG.
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Paris Saint-Germain all but sealed a record-equaling 10th French league crown with five rounds to spare by winning 3-0 at Angers on Wednesday.
PSG is 15 points ahead of second-place Marseille and has a vastly superior goal difference, but still still needs one point at home against Lens on Saturday to clinch the title.
PSG is set to move level with Saint-Etienne, which won its 10th title in 1981 and is fighting to stay up this season. PSG only had two titles to Marseille's nine when cash-rich Qatari owners QSI bought PSG in 2011.
PSG's Kylian Mbappe, left, challenges with Angers' Angelo Fulgini, right, and Angers' Souleyman Doumbia during the League One soccer match between Angers and Paris Saint Germain, at the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, western France, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoJeremias Gonzalez)
Kylian Mbappe fired PSG ahead from the edge of the penalty area in the 28th minute after swapping passes with right back Achraf Hakimi.
Former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos headed in Angel Di Maria’s cross following a short corner just before the break, and captain Marquinhos headed in another fine pass from Di Maria in the 77th.
It looked like PSG would be able to start celebrating the title as Nantes led twice at Marseille. But Marseille rallied with Dimitri Payet netting two penalties and midfielder Amine Harit clinching a 3-2 win when he scored against his former club in the 75th.
PSG's Sergio Ramos, right, celebrates his goal with PSG's Achraf Hakimi during the League One soccer match between Angers and Paris Saint Germain, at the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, western France, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoJeremias Gonzalez)
Marseille strengthened its bid to finish second in the automatic Champions League spot as it now holds a six-point lead over Rennes and Strasbourg. Alsace-side Strasbourg beat Rennes 2-1 at home.
Mbappe’s league-leading 22 goals puts him two ahead of Rennes forward Martin Terrier, who equalized for Rennes before imposing striker Ludovic Ajorque grabbed Strasbourg’s winner as coach Julien Stephan defeated the club where he made his name.
Rennes stays third in the Champions League playoff place on goal difference ahead of fourth-place Strasbourg and fifth-place Monaco, which beat Nice 1-0 at home to leapfrog its local rival.
PSG's Marquinhos waves to supporters prior to the League One soccer match between Angers and Paris Saint Germain, at the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, western France, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoJeremias Gonzalez)
At Stade Velodrome, Marseille fell behind midway through the first half when Brazilian midfielder Andrei Girotto was set up by midfielder Wylan Cyprien.
Payet equalized in the 39th but Marcus Coco restored the lead two minutes later for French Cup finalist Nantes.
Payet’s second penalty in the 55th made it 12 league goals for the former France playmaker, seven of them from the spot.
CHASE FOR EUROPE
Monaco is right back in contention for third place, with Russia midfielder Aleksandr Golovin netting in first-half injury time following a cross from Brazilian Vanderson.
Match jerseys were to be auctioned to raise money for Ukrainians fleeing their country following Russia’s invasion.
Monaco is two points ahead of Nice and three ahead of seventh-place Lens, which beat Montpellier 2-0 at home to stay in the hunt for European places.
Eighth-place Lyon lost 2-1 at Brest and defending champion Lille was beaten 2-1 at Reims, which scored an injury-time winner through captain Yunis Abdelhamid.
Lille sits in ninth, one point behind seven-time champion Lyon.
RELEGATION SCRAP
Guinea striker Mohamed Bayo pounced in the 88th minute as Clermont won 1-0 at fellow struggler Troyes to move up to 17th place.
Saint-Etienne dropped to 18th — the relegation-promotion playoff position — after drawing 2-2 at 19th-place Bordeaux.
Six-time champion Bordeaux, which has conceded a league-high 79 goals, went 2-0 up inside 22 minutes through 19-year-old forward Sekou Mara and midfielder Jean Onana.
Goals from Denis Bouanga and fellow forward Arnaud Nordin earned Saint-Etienne a draw that kept it four points clear of Bordeaux.
Rock-bottom Metz edged closer to relegation after losing 1-0 at Lorient, which improved to 15th thanks to Dango Outarra’s winner deep into injury time.
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
