AP, Paris:
Monaco moved up to second place in the French League after winning 2-0 at Lorient on Sunday, with both goals coming in an improved second-half performance.
Promising midfielder Thomas Lemar put Monaco ahead with a shot that crashed in off the underside of the crossbar in the 54th minute, and Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho curled in an excellent free kick four minutes later.
“It was a tough game against a good passing side,” Monaco center half Andrea Raggi said.
Lorient played better in the first half but striker Benjamin Jeannot failed to muster a shot on target.
“I don’t know how we lost this game, they created absolutely nothing in the first half,” Lorient defender Francois Bellugou said. “Once they scored early in the second half we were all a bit stunned.”
Monaco is two points ahead of third-place Angers but trails runaway league leader Paris Saint-Germain by a massive 21 points. PSG won 1-0 at Toulouse on Saturday thanks to a late header from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Saint-Etienne climbed to fifth spot with a hard-fought 1-0 win against bitter local rival Lyon, with Norway striker Alexander Toft Soderlund scoring on his home debut for the club in the 76th minute.
No away fans were allowed at the stadium due to the fierce hostility between the clubs’ supporters, and some Saint-Etienne fans threw objects at Lyon’s bus as it pulled into the stadium.
Lyon midfielder Rachid Ghezzal hit the crossbar midway through the second half and then forced goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier into a smart save as Lyon kept the pressure on.
But against the run of play, Soderlund latched onto a pass through the middle from fellow forward Kevin Monnet-Paquet and clipped the ball over goalkeeper Anthony Lopes as he rushed off his line.
“It didn’t come down to much, they had two chances and scored,” Lyon captain Maxime Gonalons said. “We really had no luck.”
Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier agreed that Lyon was the better side.
“If we had to win one game then it’s this one. It’s our 100th derby in the first division, so it will be remembered, although the way we played won’t,” Galtier said. “We would have been satisfied with a draw because they played better than us.”
The defeat leaves Lyon in ninth place, one spot behind Marseille – which earlier secured a much-needed 3-1 win away to Normandy side Caen.
Marseille had drawn its previous four league matches, and also lost 2-1 at Toulouse midweek in the League Cup quarterfinals.
