Monaco wins to stay 3rd, keeps Champions League bid on track

PARIS (AP) - Monaco won 1-0 at Reims to stay in third place and the Champions League spots on Sunday, but Marseille dropped crucial points in the race for fifth and the Europa League after a 1-0 defeat at Saint-Etienne.

Monaco is above Lyon by one point, and one point behind defending champion Paris Saint-Germain ahead of PSG's match at Rennes later Sunday.

PSG has to win to stay one point behind leader Lille in a tense title race, while victory would move Rennes over Marseille and into fifth.

Monaco struck in the 20th minute through midfielder Eliot Matazo, who made a surging run from deep inside his own half and swapped passes with Wissam Ben Yedder on the edge of the penalty area before finishing confidently.

It was Monaco's sixth win in the past seven games without conceding a goal, a perfect copy only blotted by last weekend's defeat at Lyon.

Midtable Saint-Etienne's goal came in the 43rd minute when Arnaud Nordin turned in Wahbi Khazri's cross from the left at the back post.

After Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda had prevented further goals, the visitors almost equalized when substitute Dario Benedetto's late header was saved.

Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez criticized the attitude of his teammates.

'œI'm angry because we didn't score today,'ť he told broadcaster Canal Plus. 'œI think the team doesn't understand how important these games are to be European next season.'ť

Elsewhere, it was: Angers 3, Dijon 0; Nice 3, Brest 2; Metz 0, Nimes 3; and Strasbourg 2, Montpellier 3.

Nimes is 19th and two points behind Nantes in 18th - the relegation-playoff position - with two rounds remaining.

PSG was without suspended top scorer Kylian Mbappe and midfielder Marco Verratti through injury, but Rennes was missing its France midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Steven Nzonzi.

Lille won 3-0 at Lens on Friday.

___

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