PARIS - French league leader Lille won at Metz 2-0 on Friday to move six points ahead of title rival Paris Saint-Germain. Lille was indebted to goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who stopped an early penalty from Metz forward Aaron Leya Iseka and made two other key saves before Lille scored through Burak Yilmaz in the 59th minute. The veteran Turkey striker latched onto a fine pass from attacking midfielder Renato Sanches and slammed a shot into the top right corner for his 10th league goal.
Burak Yilmaz and Mehmet Zeki Celik struck after the break to give Lille a 2-0 win at Metz as the northerners opened a provisional six-point gap at top of the Ligue 1 standings on Friday. The Turkish duo put Lille on 69 points from 32 games, with second-placed Paris Saint-Germain playing their match in hand at Racing Strasbourg on Saturday. Christophe Galtier's side, who beat PSG 1-0 at the Parc des Princes last weekend, had Mike Maignan to thank for as the keeper saved a first-half penalty and made decisive saves.
The Associated Press Monaco reached the French Cup quarterfinals after winning a penalty shootout 5-4 following a goalless draw with Metz on Tuesday. Four days after routing the northeastern team 4-0 in the league, Monaco could not replicate its form but managed to advance following a flawless shootout. Metz midfielder Habib Maiga fluffed his penalty kick, sending the ball over the bar.
| Rank | Ligue 1 | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | 34 | 70 | |
| 2 | 33 | 49 | 69 | |
| 3 | 32 | 29 | 65 | |
| 4 | 32 | 32 | 64 | |
| 5 | 33 | 7 | 53 | |
| 6 | 33 | 5 | 52 | |
| 7 | 33 | 8 | 51 | |
| 8 | 33 | -1 | 47 | |
| 9 | 33 | -2 | 43 | |
| 10 | 33 | -3 | 43 | |
| 11 | 33 | 0 | 41 | |
| 12 | 33 | -16 | 41 | |
| 13 | 33 | -12 | 39 | |
| 14 | 33 | -9 | 37 | |
| 15 | 33 | -11 | 37 | |
| 16 | 32 | -10 | 36 | |
| 17 | 33 | -21 | 32 | |
| 18 | 33 | -28 | 31 | |
| 19 | 32 | -17 | 28 | |
| 20 | 33 | -34 | 18 | |
| Key | ||||
| Champions League (League Winners): Lille | ||||
| Champions League (League Position): Paris Saint Germain | ||||
| Champions League Qualifying (League Position): Monaco | ||||
| Europa Cup (League Position): Lyon, Lens | ||||
| Relegation (Playoff Relegation): Nîmes | ||||
| Relegation (League Position): Nantes, Dijon |
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