Nantes beats Lens to move away from relegation playoff spot

PARIS (AP) — Struggling Nantes moved five points clear off the relegation playoff spot with a 3-1 win against Lens in the French league on Sunday.

A week after getting hammered 7-1 at Monaco, Nantes bounced back to secure only its fifth win in 23 league games this season.

The hosts put on a spirited display against a visiting side that lacked an attacking spark and was reduced to 10 men for the last 20 minutes.

French teenager Louis Leroux celebrated his first Ligue 1 start by opening the scoring in the 36th minute with a powerful shot. Moses Simon then made it 2-0 with a penalty kick on the hour-mark following a handball.

Neil El Aynaoui pulled one back from the spot five minutes later but Lens never looked capable of scrambling a comeback, especially after Mbala Nzola was sent off. Meschack Elia Lina secured a Nantes victory in stoppage time from former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin's assist.

Lens slumped to a third straight loss and remained in eighth place.

Runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain later Sunday travels to Lyon looking to extend its lead over second-place Marseille to 13 points.

Long wait

According to the league's statistics, Coquelin played his first Ligue 1 game since May 29, 2011, meaning he waited for 13 years and 270 days.

The much-traveled Coquelin joined Nantes last month as a free agent.

It's the second longest gap between two matches for a player in the French topflight since 1947-48 after Samuel Lobé — 14 years, 79 days between January 1986 and April 2000.

Aboukhlal's scissor-kick goal

Toulouse winger Zakaria Aboukhlal scored a stunning scissor-kick goal in a 4-1 win at Le Havre. The 25-year-old Dutch player put Toulouse in front with his left foot when he connected with a lofted ball from Shavy Babicka in the Le Havre area.

With his back to the goal, close to the penalty spot, Aboukhlal rose and unleashed an acrobatic shot that hit the right post and went into the back of the net. It was Aboukhlal’s seventh league goal this season.

Le Havre remained in the relegation zone, two points above last-placed Montpellier, with Toulouse 10th.

Other results

Jonathan Claus and Hicham Boudaoui both scored as Nice moved back to third place with a 2-0 win over Montpellier. Strasbourg and Brest drew 0-0.

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