Lyon’s attack looks sharp under new coach Fonseca. Nice beats Le Havre to reclaim third spot

By Canadian Press on February 16, 2025.

PARIS (AP) — After 10 goals in three games, new coach Paulo Fonseca’s pledge to bring attacking soccer back to Lyon is holding firm.

Sunday’s 4-1 win at Montpellier in Ligue 1 saw four different Lyon players on target for the second straight game.

After being involved in all four Lyon goals against Reims last weekend, Rayan Cherki took only three minutes to set up Georgia winger Georges Mikautadze for the opener.

Forward Tanguy Coulibaly equalized for last-placed Montpellier shortly before halftime, but Lyon pulled away early in the second half. Ernest Nuamah scored and three minutes later set up rejuvenated midfielder Corentin Tolisso, who has netted in every game under Fonseca.

Veteran striker Alexandre Lacazette completed the rout in the 73rd minute as Lyon moved up to fifth place, meaning Lille needed to win at Rennes later Sunday to reclaim fifth.

Under previous coach Pierre Sage, the team was looking laborious and had scored only five goals in six games without a win before he was fired.

Nice keeps pressure on Monaco

The race for third place promises to be intense, with Nice reclaiming it from Riviera rival Monaco on goal difference after winning 3-1 at lowly Le Havre.

Both Nice and Monaco have 40 points and trail second-place Marseille by six points.

Striker Gaëtan Laborde sent Nice ahead in the 16th minute and an own-goal from Étienne Youté two minutes later put Nice in control. Yassine Kechta pulled a goal back soon after but Sofiane Diop made it 3-1 in stoppage time.

Coach Liam Rosenior’s Strasbourg won 2-0 at Lens to leapfrog the northern side — also on goal difference — and move into seventh place, with Dutch striker Emanuel Emegha grabbing his 10th goal of the season.

Algerian winger Farid El Melali scored the only goal as Angers won 1-0 at Reims. The two sides meet again in the French Cup quarterfinals on Feb. 25.

Runaway leader PSG scraped a 1-0 win at Toulouse on Saturday to stay 10 points clear of free-scoring Marseille in second position.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press