Pro Sports

Lorient drops to 3rd in French league; Lille tops Monaco 4-3

Posted October 23, 2022 7:00 am

By JEROME PUGMIRE

Lille players celebrates after defeating Monaco during the French League one soccer match between Lille and Monaco at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, northern France, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. (Michel Spingler) The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) - Lorient struggled without injured top scorer Terem Moffi, and despite twice rallying to draw 2-2 at Troyes, dropped down to third place in the French league on Sunday.

Moffi has eight league goals this season - only two fewer than league top scorer Kylian MbappÃ© - but is sidelined with an injury to his right ankle.

After Troyes took the lead in the 33rd minute through defender Julien Laporte's own-goal, striker StÃ©phane Diarra equalized. Former Monaco midfielder Rony Lopes restored the home side's lead on the hour before Quentin Boisgard equalized in the 80th.

The draw means Lens - which won 1-0 at Marseille on Saturday - stays in second place on goal difference ahead of Lorient, with both on 27 points.

Rennes moved into fourth place after winning 2-1 at last-place Angers with a penalty from midfielder Lovro Majer in the fourth minute of injury time.

A fine team move led to Amine Gouiri's goal for Rennes in the 43rd. Forward Martin Terrier accelerated from 35 meters out, switched the ball to midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud, who then set up Gouiri for a low finish. Striker Amine Salama equalized for the home side shortly after the break.

LILLE WINS THRILLER

Lille didn't even need a goal from club top scorer Jonathan David to beat Monaco 4-3 at home in a thriller and move into sixth place.

David had scored in his past four games to reach nine league goals but the Canada striker's run came to an end.

Monaco twice came back from a goal down before France striker Wissam Ben Yedder made it 3-2 to Monaco in the 53rd.

But winger RÃ©my Cabella netted his second goal of the match to equalize in the 62nd before forward Jonathan Bamba got the winner in the 71st.

Lille, the 2021 champion, is one point behind fifth-place Marseille.

PENALTY CONTROVERSY

Nice scraped a 1-1 home draw with Nantes when forward Nicolas PÃ©pÃ© scored a penalty in the seventh minute of injury time, after Jean-Charles Castelletto was adjudged to have fouled defender Dante following a video review.

Nantes coach Antoine KombouarÃ© went as far as accusing referee FranÃ§ois Letexier of being a 'œliar'ť because his side was not given a penalty earlier in the game, for what KombouarÃ© said was a handball by Dante.

'œIt's more than a feeling of injustice," KombouarÃ© said on Amazon Prime TV. "I feel like we've been robbed.'ť

Nantes goalkeeper Albon Lafont was sent off after the equalizer as he continued to protest the penalty decision.

Nantes led 1-0 after striker Ignatius Ganago scored early in the second half from Moses Simon's left-wing cross. Nice is in 12th spot and Nantes is 15th.

In other matches, it was Reims 2, Auxerre 1; Toulouse 2, Strasbourg 2; and Clermont 1, Brest 3.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Monaco's Eliot Matzazo receives a yellow card during the French League one soccer match between Lille and Monaco at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, northern France, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. (Michel Spingler) The Associated Press

Monaco's Wissam Ben Yedder scores a goal during the French League one soccer match between Lille and Monaco at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, northern France, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. (Michel Spingler) The Associated Press

Lille's Remy Cabella reacts as he falls on Monaco's Axel Disasi during the French League one soccer match between Lille and Monaco at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, northern France, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. (Michel Spingler) The Associated Press

Lille's Angel Gomes and Jonathan Bamba celebrate, right, celebrate a goal during the French League one soccer match between Lille and Monaco at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, northern France, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. (Michel Spingler) The Associated Press

Lille's Jonathan Bamba, left, and Monaco's Axel Disasi jump to head the ball during the French League one soccer match between Lille and Monaco at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d'Ascq, northern France, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022. (Michel Spingler) The Associated Press

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