05/17/26 05:05:00
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05/17 17:03 CDT Lille finishes third in Ligue 1 to secure a Champions League
berth despite losing to Auxerre
Lille finishes third in Ligue 1 to secure a Champions League berth despite
losing to Auxerre
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
AP Sports Writer
Lille finished the Ligue 1 season in third place to secure a berth in next
season's Champions League despite losing 2-0 at home to Auxerre on the final
day, and already crowned French champion Paris Saint-Germain concluded its
domestic campaign on a poor note.
Three clubs --- Lille, Lyon and Rennes --- could have still finished third
before Sunday's final round of matches and join champion PSG and runner-up Lens
in Europe's top club competition. But none of the trio managed to win, and
Lille secured the coveted spot, one point above Lyon, which will go into
Champions League qualifying.
Mali forward Lassine Sinayoko scored a brace for Auxerre, making sure his team
would remain in the top flight and avoid the relegation playoff.
Lyon's hopes of finishing third quickly faded as coach Paulo Fonseca's players
trailed by three goals before halftime at home against Lens. Florian Thauvin
added another goal in the second half to seal the visitors' 4-0 win.
Meanwhile, Marseille beat Rennes 3-1 with goals from Pierre-Emile Hjbjerg,
Amine Gouiri and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Esteban Lepaul, the league's top
scorer, reduced the deficit with his 21st goal this season.
The win lifted Marseille to fifth place --- level on points with Rennes but
with a better goal difference --- and into the Europa League.
In Paris, PSG, which sealed its 14th league title on Wednesday, made a short
trip to its neighbor Paris FC and concluded its domestic season with a 2-1 loss.
Bradley Barcola put PSG in front only for Alimami Gory to level in the 76th and
complete his brace in added time. PSG had been knocked out of the French Cup by
Paris FC in January.
PSG will now focus on preparations for the Champions League final against
Arsenal on May 30 at Puskas Arena in Budapest.
Nice, which drew 0-0 with last-place Metz, finished 16th and will take on
Saint-Etienne in a tricky promotion-relegation playoff. The pitch was invaded a
few seconds after the final whistle.
Halilhodzic's chaotic last game
Veteran Nantes coach Vahid Halilhodzic saw the final match of his career end
with an abandoned game.
Halilhodzic was honored with a guard of honor from the players and staff before
the match against Toulouse and was treated to loud applause.
But the evening quickly descended into chaos as fans angered by Nantes'
relegation to the second division stormed the field. After a lengthy
interruption, local authorities ordered the match to be abandoned for security
reasons.
The 74-year-old Halilhodzic is retiring after returning to Nantes in March and
failing in his mission to keep the eight-time champion among the elite.
Halilhodzic won the French title with Nantes as a striker in 1983 and is third
on the club's all-time scorers list with 93 league goals. He scored eight goals
for then-Yugoslavia. His coaching career included spells with Lille --- where
he was named coach of the season --- and PSG, before taking charge of Ivory
Coast, Algeria, Japan and Morocco.
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