Lens regain Ligue 1 lead through victory over Nice

Lens overtook the current French and European title holders Paris Saint-Germain to claim the Ligue 1 summit, securing a 2-0 triumph against struggling Nice, driven by Odsonne Edouard, on Sunday.

The outfit managed by Pierre Sage has emerged as the unexpected highlights of the campaign to date in France, and they headed into the weekend in first position until PSGs edgy 3-2 success against bottom-placed Metz on Saturday temporarily restored the Qatari funded team to the top of the standings.

However Lens reclaimed the lead with their sixth straight league victory, reaching 37 points, one clear of PSG, guaranteeing they end the year at the pinnacle of Ligue 1 during the mid season pause.

The ex Celtic and Crystal Palace forward Edouard netted twice via headers around the interval to propel Lens forward.

The first goal came as a fine flicked finish on the 15th minute that sailed over the stranded Yehvann Diouf and nestled beneath the bar, following Edouards connection with Matthieu Udols delivery from outside the front upright.

The pair linked up once more in the 57th minute, Edouard arriving free at the far post, sealing another loss for Franck Haise's plummeting Nice.

The Mediterranean club has endured defeats in their past nine fixtures across all tournaments and must now play forthcoming home games without spectators owing to ongoing fan issues from earlier this term.

In another event, ultras accosted the squad near Nice's training facility following their away loss to Lorient late November, ejecting them from their transport and reportedly assaulting certain members.

Lille, trailing Lens by five points in temporary third, clinched a 4-3 rollercoaster at faltering Auxerre, both teams reduced to nine players at the end.

The tumultuous closing 10 minutes featured three strikes and two dismissals, with Benjamin Andres 86th minute effort securing the points for Bruno Genesios team.

Strasbourg drew blank at home versus Lorient, who advanced beyond Nice to 12th place.

In the afternoons opener, Pavel Sulc grabbed the lone strike as Lyon defeated Le Havre, narrowing the deficit to two points behind Marseille in fourth.

Roberto De Zerbis group can extend that margin and recapture third when they welcome Monaco in the weekends closing fixture.