PARIS (AP) - Lille won 2-0 away against Nice to stay one point clear at the top of the French league on Saturday.
Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes and Lyon all won to keep the pressure on Rudi Garcia's side in the close title race.
"We were strong and did what we had to do," Lille captain Rio Mavuba said. "It's a logical result because we controlled the game from start to finish."
Lille's highly rated Belgium midfielder Eden Hazard set up the goals for striker Moussa Sow - his 15th - and Gervinho, and almost created another for Sow before coming off near the end.
Lille has played a game less than its challengers, and can move four points clear and into control of the title race if it wins it game in hand at home against Nancy on Wednesday.
"It's a bonus game for us and we will try and win it," Mavuba said. "We will try and hang in there as long as possible. It will be very hard seeing as all the other teams are winning as well."
PSG stayed in second place on goal difference after a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Sochaux, with defender Mamadou Sakho and winger Ludovic Giuly scoring after Modibo Maiga gave Sochaux the lead.
Midfielder Yacine Brahimi scored twice as Rennes thrashed last-place Arles 4-0 to stay in third spot ahead of Lyon, which easily beat Lorient 3-0 thanks to two goals from striker Bafetimbi Gomis.
Defending champion Marseille hosts Bordeaux on Sunday.
At Stade Gerland, Gomis' brace took his tally to eight league goals, while Sweden midfielder Kim Kallstrom added another with a brilliant low shot from 25 yards (meters) that flew into the bottom corner.
It's a considerable change of fortune for Gomis, who joined from bitter rival Saint-Etienne two years ago and was regularly jeered at home games until recently. This time he received a standing ovation when he was taken off late.
"We tried to put as much pressure as possible on Lorient, which has a lot of problems playing away from home," Gomis said. "Their goalkeeper had a lot of work to do tonight."
Rennes cruised to victory with midfielders Alexander Tettey and Yann M'vila getting the other goals.
In Saturday's other games, it was: Auxerre 1, Monaco 1; Brest 1, Caen 3; Lens 2, Saint-Etienne 1; Montpellier 2, Valenciennes 1, and Toulouse 1, Nancy 0.
Franck Tabanou got the winner for fifth-place Toulouse, while striker Olivier Giroud got his seventh goal of the season from the penalty spot as Montpellier came from behind to move into sixth spot.
Lens earned a vital win in its relegation battle with two goals in the last 10 minutes.
Lens remains one place off the bottom, however, because of Caen's win. Lens has 19 points, one less than 18th-place Monaco, and two behind Caen. Arles already looks certain to be relegated as it has only eight points.
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