Lille respond late to hat-trick heroes

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late strike fired LOSC Lille Métropole to a 2-1 victory at Stade Rennais FC that kept the northern club third in Ligue 1, with hat-tricks from Michel Bastos and Mamadou Niang having earlier sparked delight for Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille respectively.

Lille looked set to slip down the standings until the 89th minute in Brittany, when Aubameyang swept the ball in from close range after Rennes goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez had kept out substitute Stéphane Dumont. Rudi Garcia's visitors were worthy winners and had opened the scoring too, Pierre-Alain Frau advancing on goal and finishing on ten minutes, before Jérôme Leroy equalised by sliding a shot through Mickaël Landreau's legs.

Victory lifted Lille to within four points of leaders FC Girondins de Bordeaux, who possess a game in hand, and kept them a point clear of Lyon, who built on their midweek UEFA Champions League defeat of Real Madrid CF. Brazilian forward Bastos was the key to Les Gones' 4-0 success at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, the 26-year-old opening his account with a fifth-minute free-kick before turning in a Bafétimbi Gomis cross and adding a third with just 26 minutes on the clock. Lisandro then pounced on an under-hit back pass ten minutes from time.

Below Lyon in fifth, and having played a game less, Marseille had Senegal striker Niang to thank for their 3-1 home win over AS Nancy-Lorraine. The 30-year-old took his tally to 14 league goals this term, heading in his first from a Charles Kaboré cross on ten minutes and putting the UEFA Europa League hopefuls back in front 11 minutes before the break after André Luiz had restored parity. OM's third consecutive league success was secure when Niang pounced on a Lucho through pass midway through the second period.