FOOTBALL NEWS FROM LIGUE 1
Lille hopes alive
Tulio de Melo's early goal kept Lille's slim Ligue 1 title hopes alive with victory at struggling Nice tonight.
De Melo headed home in the sixth minute to move Lille five points behind leaders Montpellier with three games to go.
Lille travel to the leaders in their penultimate game.
Defeat, though, left Nice three points above the bottom three.
The hosts got off to a terrible start as their opponents went ahead with the first attack of the game.
Eden Hazard brought down Rio Mavuba's long ball and crossed perfectly for De Melo to nod home.
Franck Dja Djedje volleyed just over from a Francois Clerc cross at the other end, but the hosts were grateful to goalkeeper David Ospina for preventing them falling further behind.
Shortly after he had shot narrowly over, Nolan Roux broke forward and struck a fierce shot which Ospina saved well with his feet.
Clerc brought a save out of Mickael Landreau early in the second half with a shot from the right of the area, but Ospina continued to be the busier keeper.
The home stopper denied Idrissa Gueye before Hazard had an effort cleared off the line by Renato Civelli after linking up well with Florent Balmont.
Hazard was involved again as he freed Dimitri Payet, whose shot was kept out by Ospina.
Lille continued to threaten a second goal with Payet again denied by Ospina in stoppage time, but one proved enough.
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Tulio de Melo's early goal kept Lille's slim Ligue 1 title hopes alive with victory at struggling Nice tonight.De Melo headed home in the sixth minute to move Lille five points behind leaders Montpellier with three games to go.
Lille travel to the leaders in their penultimate game.
Defeat, though, left Nice three points above the bottom three.
The hosts got off to a terrible start as their opponents went ahead with the first attack of the game.
Eden Hazard brought down Rio Mavuba's long ball and crossed perfectly for De Melo to nod home.
Franck Dja Djedje volleyed just over from a Francois Clerc cross at the other end, but the hosts were grateful to goalkeeper David Ospina for preventing them falling further behind.
Shortly after he had shot narrowly over, Nolan Roux broke forward and struck a fierce shot which Ospina saved well with his feet.
Clerc brought a save out of Mickael Landreau early in the second half with a shot from the right of the area, but Ospina continued to be the busier keeper.
The home stopper denied Idrissa Gueye before Hazard had an effort cleared off the line by Renato Civelli after linking up well with Florent Balmont.
Hazard was involved again as he freed Dimitri Payet, whose shot was kept out by Ospina.
Lille continued to threaten a second goal with Payet again denied by Ospina in stoppage time, but one proved enough.