Lille boosted their bid for automatic Champions League qualification with an emphatic 4-0 victory away to Toulouse in Sunday’s Ligue 1 action.
The win lifted Lille into third place, a point clear of Marseille in fourth, with the top three earning direct entry into next season’s Champions League while fourth must settle for the qualifiers.
Thomas Meunier had already given Lille a first-half lead before the game swung further in their favour early after the break.
Toulouse defender Mark McKenzie was dismissed for hauling down Matias Fernandez-Pardo as he surged through on goal, leaving the hosts a man down.
Lille took full advantage of the numerical edge, controlling proceedings and adding further goals through Romain Perraud and Fernandez-Pardo, before veteran striker Olivier Giroud sealed the rout from the penalty spot late on.
Elsewhere, Lyon aimed to end a frustrating nine-game winless run when they hosted Lorient.
Head coach Paulo Fonseca opted to start teenage Brazilian forward Endrick on the bench following criticism of his recent dip in form, despite the 19-year-old’s bright start after arriving on loan from Real Madrid.
In another fixture, Nice and Le Havre shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, with both teams still lingering just above the relegation zone.
