Ligue 1: Monaco put three past Bastia to close the gap on Marseille

Champions League-chasing Monaco moved to within three points of third-placed Marseille with a 3-0 win over nine-man Bastia.

Goals from Anthony Martial and Matheus Carvalho put the hosts in control before the break.

Bastia had Drissa Diakite sent off in the first half for bringing down Carvalho in the box, though Layvin Kurzawa saw the resultant penalty saved by Alphonse Areola. However, the principality side never really looked in danger as Martial added to the lead after 52 minutes.

The misery was piled on for Bastia when Giovanni Sio saw red 20 minutes before the end, and at the end of the night Monaco moved on to 50 points in the table.

The match was preceded by a minute's silence in memory of the helicopter crash in Argentina that killed 10 people including French Olympians Camille Muffat, Alexis Vastine and Florence Arthaud.

The game got off to a slow start, with an effort from Martial blocked before Florian Marange fired wide after 10 minutes.

Five minutes later, Carvalho saw his header cleared off the line by Romaric as the home side began to build pressure.

And that pressure told after 23 minutes as Nabil Dirar's cross found Martial who fired past the goalkeeper from point-blank range.

Diakite was shown a straight red for a professional foul and although Areola guessed right to save Kurzawa's spot-kick, Monaco took full advantage of the extra man.

Two minutes later Dirar was again the provider, this time playing in Carvalho to convert for his first Monaco goal.

Two became three seven minutes after the restart as Carvalho turned provider, sliding the ball across to Martial who bagged his second from close range.

Areola denied Martial his hat-trick with a splendid save after 62 minutes, but when Sio became the second Bastia player to be shown red after a studs up challenge on Kurzawa the result was not in doubt.