Resurgent Lyon beats Lille to move level on points with PSG at the top of Ligue 1

PARIS (AP) — Resurgent Lyon earned a gritty 1-0 win at Lille to move level on points with Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

It has been quite some turnaround for seven-time former champion Lyon, which has not looked back since overturning a relegation to the second tier for financial irregularities in July.

A newfound defensive stability has led to a remarkable five clean sheets in six league games and team spirit has vastly improved. Lyon has 15 points and defending champion PSG leads on goal difference.

English midfielder Tyler Morton, who joined from Premier League winner Liverpool in the offseason, scored his first goal for Lyon when he headed in Nicolas Tagliafico’s cross in the 13th minute.

Led by veteran striker Olivier Giroud, Lille responded strongly but Felix Correia blazed over from five meters out midway through the second half.

The big miss prompted Lille coach Bruno Genesio — formerly Lyon’s coach — to kick some drinks bottles in front of his team’s bench in frustration.

One of the bottles landed near a fourth official, leading to a caution for Genesio, who then shouted “You’re all rubbish” to the official as he turned away. Moments later, Genesio was shown a red card by referee Mathieu Vernice and continued to remonstrate as he walked up to the stands.

Vernice showed his authority again when he gave winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo a yellow card for diving in the penalty as he tried to win a penalty late on.

Nabil Bentaleb’s shot from just outside the penalty area flew just past the right post with the last kick of the game.

Lens holds on after red card

Lens drew 0-0 at Rennes despite having defender Jonathan Gradit sent off in the first minute.

Gradit clattered into Rennes captain Seko Fofana — his former teammate at Lens. Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul had a shot saved in the closing stages.

The draw kept Lens in seventh place and one point above Rennes in eighth.

Nice stutters as match twice halted

Earlier, Nice’s miserable run of form continued when it conceded a late equalizer and drew 1-1 with newly promoted Paris FC.

Nice has won only two of nine games in all competitions this season, losing six. Nice was beaten home and away by Benfica in Champions League qualifying and lost its Europa League opener at home to Roma.

Mohamed-Ali Cho’s fine pass set up the goal for midfielder Sofiane Diop for a neat finish in the 40th minute. But striker Jean-Philippe Krasso’s 88th-minute penalty earned his side a point.

Referee Abdelatif Kherradji briefly stopped the match twice toward the end — in the 83rd minute and in stoppage time — after some Nice supporters made homophobic chants. Club captain Jonathan Clauss appealed to the fans to stop.

Other games

Brest won 2-0 at Angers, with striker Rémy Labeau-Lascary scoring in the 26th and Romain Del Castillo making it 2-0 from the penalty spot soon after following a handball.

Metz drew 0-0 with Le Havre.

PSG beat Auxerre 2-0 at home on Saturday but saw its injury problems mount as midfielder Vitinha and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia both left the field. ___

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