Ligue 1 Review: Lille boost European hopes, Ben Arfa stakes Euros claim

In-form Lille continued their late charge for European qualification with an impressive 4-1 victory over Monaco in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Frederic Antonetti’s side went into the match at Stade Pierre-Mauroy having won four Ligue 1 games on the bounce, and goals from Morgan Amalfitano, Eder, Mounir Obbadi and Djibril Sidibe ensured they moved to within two points of Rennes in fourth, and six adrift of their third-placed opponents.

Amalfitano opened the scoring shortly before half-time, but the game really sparked into life after the break when both sides were reduced to 10 men due to the dismissals of first Lille defender Renato Civelli and then Monaco’s Uwa Echiejile.

It was Lille who reacted better to being down to 10, though, and Eder rounded off an incisive breakaway involving Sofiane Boufal and Obbadi to make it 2-0.

Obbadi himself then put the result beyond doubt in the 77th minute, before Sidibe and a late consolation from Monaco’s Fares Bahlouli completed the scoring.

Hatem Ben Arfa staked his latest claim for a spot in France’s Euro 2016 squad as his hat-trick helped Nice see off Rennes 3-0.

A penalty and accurate right-footed finish had the south-coast side two goals up at the break and, having been dropped for the recent international break, the winger showed Didier Deschamps what he is missing, completing his treble with a thunderbolt from 25 yards.

Marseille and Bordeaux played out a 0-0 draw in front of a disgruntled Stade Velodrome crowd in Sunday’s other fixture.