Endrick nets hat-trick as Lyon secure convincing Ligue 1 victory

The young Brazilian forward Endrick, currently on loan from Real Madrid, marked his arrival in Ligue 1 with a brilliant hat-trick, powering Lyon to a dominant 5-2 victory over basement side Metz on Sunday.

These three goals from the 19-year-old propelled the fourth-placed team Lyon to a four-point lead ahead of Lille, who face Strasbourg later that day.

Endrick opened the scoring for the away side Lyon at Stade Saint-Symphorien, deftly chipping the ball over Metz custodian Jonathan Fischer after receiving a pass from Corentin Tolisso in the 11th minute.

Ruben Kluivert, offspring of ex-Netherlands forward Patrick, added a second goal for Lyon just five minutes later, marking his debut strike for the club.

Tyler Morton, previously with Liverpool, extended the lead to three shortly past the half-hour, before Koffi Kouao responded for Metz.

Endrick then broke away from midfield and sealed a lopsided first half with a composed finish.

Habib Diallo reduced the gap once more for the faltering home team, yet Endrick rounded out his treble with a penalty in the 87th minute.

In another match, Nice snapped their eight-game league drought by thrashing relegation-threatened Nantes 4-1, creating a seven-point buffer from the drop zone.

Paris FC played out a 0-0 stalemate against Angers, maintaining a six-point edge over Nantes, who sit in the 16th spot for the relegation playoff.