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RC Lens vs Marseille. French Ligue 1.

Stade De FranceAttendance70,122.

RC Lens 0

    Marseille 4

    • M Batshuayi (93rd minute, 46th minute)
    • A Romao (67th minute)
    • A Ayew (72nd minute)

    French Ligue 1 report: Marseille put pressure on PSG with 4-0 victory over Lens

    Florian Thauvin in action for Lens
    Image: Florian Thauvin in action for Lens

    Michy Batshuayi scored twice as Marseille closed the gap on Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain to two points as they claimed a 4-0 win at Lens.

    Batshuayi opened the scoring in the 46th minute and finished off with his second in stoppage time after Alaixys Romao and Andre Ayew had made the game safe in five second-half minutes.

    The result sees OM remain in third place but they are now just a point behind second-placed Lyon and two behind defending champions PSG as the title race continues to hot up.

    Both sides had early opportunities to test the goalkeepers but Andre-Pierre Gignac fired wide of Lens stopper Remy Riou's post after a great ball from Dimitri Payet before Pablo Chavarria just failed to make contact on Benjamin Boulenger's teasing cross at the other end.

    Chances were few and far between in the opening half hour but Yoann Touzghar almost put an end to that when he met Chavarria's sublime cross, but the former Amiens striker could only head over from six yards.

    Another chance came Touzghar's way on 38 minutes but his volley on the stretch was palmed away for a corner by Steve Mandanda as Marseille struggled to find a foothold in the game.

    Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa worked his magic at half-time, though, as l'OM broke the deadlock within 60 seconds of the restart.

    Riou's poor clearance went straight to Florian Thauvin and, after he played Payet in, the former Lille forward set up half-time substitute Batshuayi to bundle the ball home from two yards for his fifth goal in as many games.

    Batshuayi's introduction brought fresh impetus to the Marseille attack and the young Belgian did have the ball in the net a second time but his effort was rightly ruled out for offside before he was denied minutes later from 12 yards by a superb Riou save.

    The second goal was not long in coming for Bielsa's side, though, when Payet was unfortunate to see his superb free-kick came back off the post but Romao was on hand to tuck the ball home from eight yards out.

    And Marseille did not stop there when Batshuayi released Benjamin Mendy down the left on 73 minutes and his square ball was tapped home by Ayew to rub salt in Lens' wounds.

    There was still time for the visitors to add a fourth deep into injury time when Ayew scythed through the Lens defence with ease and, despite Riou saving at his feet, Basthuayi was on hand to tap home.

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