Monaco edge further away from relegation trouble with win over Lyon

Gelson Martins and Rony Lopes scored first-half goals as Monaco edged further away from relegation trouble in Ligue 1 with a 2-0 win against Lyon.

Winger Martins and midfielder Lopes put Monaco in control early in the game, while Lyon striker Memphis Depay’s second-half penalty was saved.

Monaco, who began the day two points above the bottom three, have leapfrogged Amiens into 16th place.

They have won three and drawn one of their last four league games under Leonardo Jardim, who was reappointed boss after Thierry Henry was sacked in January after just three months in charge.

Lyon, who held Barcelona to a goalless draw in their Champions League tie in midweek, remain third but are now five points behind second-placed Lille after losing two of their last three league matches.

Lopes and Radamel Falcao had both gone close for Monaco before Martins opened the scoring, converting low into the bottom corner from inside the penalty area after being set up by Fode Ballo-Toure.

Monaco continued to create chances and Lopes arrowed home their second goal nine minutes later with an angled shot from the left edge of the area.

The home side were denied a third just before the interval when Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes turned away Aleksandr Golovin’s effort.

Lyon had offered little going forward and Falcao’s fierce shot was held by Lopes early in the second half.

Jason Denayer headed a rare Lyon chance over the crossbar on the hour, but the visitors were handed a route back into the match in the 70th minute when Kamil Glik was adjudged to have fouled Moussa Dembele in the area.

Depay sent his spot-kick towards the bottom corner, but Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic saved low down to his right.

Bertrand Traore forced Subasic into another save soon after and Dembele pulled his effort wide as Lyon rallied.

Falcao spurned a chance to seal it for Monaco when he fired wide after racing on to Lopes’ through ball.

Traore saw another shot well saved by Subasic in the closing stages and Monaco played out four minutes of stoppage time without further alarm.