The China Mail - Giroud brace earns Lille win over Paris FC in Ligue 1

The 39-year-old struck in both halves after Willem Geubbels had given the visitors the lead.

Aissa Mandi headed a third and Lohann Doucet then gave Paris FC late hope, until Marius Broholm's spot-kick sealed Lille's place in the top four with 23 points.

The away side took the lead in the 11th minute when Geubbels gleefully tapped into an open net after Vincent Marchetti's piledriver fell kindly to the striker after blasting against the crossbar.

Giroud levelled for the hosts on 40 minutes as he swept home Romain Perraud's pass.

It was the 2018 World Cup winner's first league goal for Lille since he netted for the northerners in their opening two fixtures in August.

Lille dominated the second period but were unable to force a breakthrough until the final quarter-hour.

Substitute Hakon Haraldsson was caught from behind as he tried to get onto the end of a low cross into the box and Giroud made no mistake from the spot with 13 minutes remaining.

Mandi gave Lille breathing space as he nodded in a corner at the back post in the 80th minute.

Paris FC got a lifeline back into the match when Doucet tucked home from close range shortly afterwards.

But after some desperate rearguard action and Broholm's 96th-minute penalty, Bruno Genesio's side saw out a hard-fought victory.

Earlier, Lyon were held to a goalless stalemate at bottom-of-the-table Auxerre as the hosts put an end to a four-game losing streak in the league.

Lyon move to 21 points but lost further ground on Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille in the title race.

But things could have been worse for the seven-time Ligue 1 winners if goalkeeper Dominik Greif had not saved a first-half penalty from Lassine Sinayoko.

"We have to do better. We missed out on three points at an important stage of the championship," Lyon assistant coach Jorge Maciel said.

"Ambition is not something you talk about, but something you show on the pitch."

Auxerre remain three points from safety after fellow relegation candidates Lorient and Nantes played out a 1-1 draw.

Nantes centre-back Chidozie Awaziem salvaged a point for the hosts in the 91st minute after his own-goal in first-half injury time had looked like handing Lorient a vital three points.

Metz, also on 11 points but with an inferior goal difference, replaced Lorient in the drop zone after they went down to a last-gasp 3-2 defeat at Brest.

Romain Del Castillo's penalty in the 10th minute of stoppage time condemned Stephane Le Mignan's charges to an eighth defeat of the campaign.

Brest, who played Champions League football last season, climbed to 14th place on 13 points.

Angers beat Toulouse 1-0 thanks to an early Yassin Belkhdim goal as they joined their opponents in mid-table on 16 points.

K.Lam--ThChM