Second-placed Angers keep on surprising with Nimes win
(Reuters) - Surprise package Angers went second behind Paris Saint Germain in Ligue 1 on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over rock-bottom Nimes, while Olympique Lyonnais battled for an hour with 10 men to secure a 2-1 home win over Nice.
A strike from Thomas Mangani midway through the second half was enough to take Angers, who have one of the smallest budgets in the league, up to 24 points.
But Olympique Marseille, on 22, can knock them down to third by beating Toulouse on Sunday. Paris St Germain, who beat Lille 2-0 at home on Friday, have 33 points.
French winger Jeff Reine-Adelaide claimed his first goal since August to put Lyon ahead in the 10th minute at the Groupama Stadium, with a cool low finish from the edge of the area.
Moussa Dembele slotted in his 10th league goal of the season with a penalty before the hosts had defender Fernando Marcal sent off for a high boot on youngster Hichem Boudaoui in the 34th.
Nice's Danish striker Kasper Dolberg cut the deficit with 12 minutes left but any hopes of a comeback were hit when defender Patrick Burner was dismissed for a second booking in the 86th.
Lyon held on to collect their third win in four league games as they climbed to seventh with 19 points from 14 games.
Reims went fifth on 20 points with a 1-1 draw away to Metz, while sixth-placed Nantes also moved up to 20 points and ended a run of four consecutive defeats thanks to a 1-1 draw at Brest.
Strasbourg recorded a thumping 4-0 win away to struggling Amiens to move four points clear of the relegation play-off place, while Dijon climbed out of the drop zone as they came from behind to beat Rennes 2-1.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Tony Lawrence)
