Lyon Strengthen Champions League Push With Victory At Nice

Lyon kept their Champions League hopes alive with a crucial 2-0 victory over in-form Nice on Sunday, denying their opponents a chance to climb to second place in Ligue 1.

Super-sub duo Rayan Cherki and Ernest Nuamah found the net for Lyon, who played their first match without coach Paulo Fonseca following his nine-month ban for a heated confrontation with a referee.

The victory lifted Lyon back to sixth place, just four points behind Nice in the final automatic Champions League qualification spot and two points adrift of fourth-placed Monaco.

Nice entered the match on a four-game winning streak and had remained unbeaten at home this season. However, Lyon's resolute performance ended that run and left them unable to leapfrog Marseille in the table.

Elsewhere in Ligue 1 Strasbourg edged Nantes 1-0 thanks to a Felix Lemarechal strike, keeping them two points behind Lyon. Liam Rosenior's side have now won four of their last five matches, keeping clean sheets in all of them.