Lyon surged into third place in Ligue 1 on Sunday with a thrilling 4-2 victory over Rennes, bolstering their bid for Champions League qualification.
The seven-time French champions, who faced potential bankruptcy just ten months ago, are now clear of a crowded pack vying for the final European berth behind Paris Saint-Germain and Lens.
Brazilian teenager Endrick, on loan from Real Madrid, sealed the win with a classy finish. His form has reportedly caught the attention of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, with a potential World Cup spot now in view.
Match recap: Rennes took an early lead through Musa Al-Tamari, but Lyon responded with first-half goals from Roman Yaremchuk and a Corentin Tolisso penalty. Esteban Lepaul levelled for the visitors after the break, but Afonso Moreira restored Lyon’s advantage before Endrick’s decisive strike.
Ligue 1 table (top three race):
PSG lead on 70 points, with Lens second on 64. Lyon now have 60 points, two ahead of Lille, with Rennes a further two back. However, Lyon’s rivals have only two matches remaining, while PSG and Lens each have three.
Elsewhere, a depleted Strasbourg – focused on their Conference League semi-final second leg against Rayo Vallecano – lost 2-1 at home to Toulouse, their first win in five. Strasbourg remain eighth, needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit to reach the final.
In other results, Lille were held to a 1-1 home draw by Le Havre, Paris FC thrashed Brest 4-0, and Auxerre boosted their survival hopes with a 3-1 win over Angers.
