Rabiot helps Marseille keep pressure on PSG

PARIS: Adrien Rabiot scored a second-half winner as Marseille beat Rennes 2-1 in Brittany on Saturday to move within four points of Ligue 1 pace-setters Paris Saint-Germain.

Marseille, bidding for a 10th French title but first since 2010, closed the gap on reigning champions PSG ahead of the leaders´ match against Saint-Etienne on Sunday. Roberto De Zerbi´s men have dropped just two points in their last six league games.

Rennes wasted a golden chance to take the lead just after the half-hour mark when Arnaud Kalimuendo´s penalty was diverted onto the woodwork by Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. But Kalimuendo made no mistake 11 minutes later, collecting the ball and firing into the corner to put the hosts ahead.

Marseille crucially levelled before the interval, though, as Michael Murillo´s pass picked out Mason Greenwood to score his 11th Ligue 1 goal of the season, moving the controversial English striker joint-top of the goalscoring charts alongside Lille´s Jonathan David.

The visitors completed the comeback less than four minutes after the restart, as Rabiot headed Greenwood´s cross past Rennes ´keeper Brice Samba, making his debut just three days after signing from Lens.

Marseille thought they had won a penalty late on for a handball by Albert Gronbaek, only for the decision to be overturned by VAR. But they held on for an important win which leaves Rennes languishing just a point above the relegation play-off spot. Earlier, Lyon missed an opportunity to draw level on points with third-placed Monaco with a 2-1 loss at Brest.

Monaco´s draw at Nantes and Lille´s stalemate with Auxerre on Friday gave Lyon a chance to climb from fifth into the third and final automatic Champions League spot. But Brest, who are in the top eight of this season´s Champions League table, bounced back from last weekend´s loss to Angers to move six points clear of the bottom three. Mahdi Camara gave Brest an eighth-minute lead, following in to score after Ludovic Ajorque´s shot was saved by Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri.