Lyon edge Toulouse to boost Champions League push

Lyon remained on course for next season's Champions League after claiming a dramatic 3-2 victory at relegation strugglers Toulouse in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Marcel Tisserand struck just after half-time to give Toulouse the lead, but Clement Grenier's free-kick pulled Lyon back on level terms with 73 minutes played.

Alexandre Lacazette then fired Lyon ahead, only for Wissam Ben Yedder to equalise soon after, but Corentin Tolisso forced home the winner five minutes from time to move Lyon back into second place.

Defeat for Toulouse left the home side still three points from safety with just three games of the season remaining.

Nice's 2-0 victory over Reims on Friday had dropped Lyon to fourth, and Bruno Genesio's side went into Saturday's contest without a win in the Rose City since 2005.

Danish striker Martin Braithwaite tested Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal midway through the first half, with Tolisso then firing fractionally over from long range.

Lyon thought they'd grabbed the opening goal on 40 minutes when Rachid Ghezzal's shot zipped past Alban Lafont, but it was correctly ruled out after the ball flicked off Samuel Umtiti who was in an offside position.

Tisserand then forced home from close range five minutes into the second half following a knockdown from a corner to put Toulouse ahead and on track for a fourth straight home win.

But Grenier's free-kick left 17-year-old Toulouse goalkeeper Alban Lafont completely bamboozled, the ball flashing straight past him down the middle of the goal.

Jordan Ferri then released Lacazette with a first-time pass on 80 minutes and the France striker drilled past Lafont at the near post to give Lyon a 2-1 lead.

However, Toulouse responded two minutes later as Braithwaite chased down a long ball over the top and although his shot was palmed away by Lopes, Ben Yedder was on hand to tap in the rebound for his 16th goal of the season.

However, late goals have proved costly for Toulouse this term, having conceded a stoppage-time equaliser at Lorient last weekend, and they were undone again with just five minutes remaining.

Ferri's low cross from the right was miscontrolled by Lacazette, but his heavy touch rolled kindly into the path of Tolisso who prodded home the winner to push Lyon back above both Monaco and Nice.

Monaco, who trail Lyon by a point, can reclaim second place on Sunday when they travel to Rennes, while Saint-Etienne will bid for a fifth straight win at home to Lorient.

Marseille will seek to seek to finally put an to end their record 14-game winless run at the Stade Velodrome with Nantes the visitors to the south coast, while Paris Saint-Germain take on Lille later in the final of the French League Cup at the Stade de France.