Paris: Striker Edinson Cavani scored his 44th goal of the season and created the second goal as Paris Saint-Germain beat Montpellier 2-0 to go top of the French league on Saturday.
Cavani thumped home a cross from midfielder Blaise Matuidi in the first half, with winger Angel Di Maria involved in the buildup. It took Cavani’s career-best tally to 31 league goals and he thought he had another later in the half, but his powerful header was ruled out for offside.
Three minutes after the break, Cavani back-heeled to Di Maria, who curled in from just outside the penalty area for his fifth goal in five games.
Defending champion PSG is three points ahead of Monaco, which has led for most of the season.
Monaco has played two games less and can return to the top on goal difference by winning at Lyon on Sunday.
Both sides are doing well in Europe.
Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals and Lyon got through to the last four of the Europa League this week.
PSG has won eight straight games in all competitions to keep the pressure on Monaco. They meet each other on Wednesday in the French Cup semi-finals. PSG then faces a tough away trip at third-place Nice next weekend as the hard-fought title race heats up.
“Monaco’s had a great season and you have to congratulate them,” PSG left back Maxwell said. “But we’re still in it.”
Bordeaux beat last-place Bastia 2-0 at home to move up to fourth spot, with striker Malcom getting the first goal.
In La Liga, Antoine Griezmann was Atletico Madrid’s hero once more as he struck 17 minutes from time to snatch a 1-0 win away to Espanyol on Saturday.
Atletico were outplayed for large spells and were also thankful to goalkeeper Jan Oblak as he made a brilliant save to deny Leo Baptistao salvaging a point for Espanyol.
Victory restores Atletico’s three-point lead over Sevilla in the fight for third place behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone made just one change from the side that booked their place in a third Champions League semi-final in four years against Leicester. And their midweek exertions appeared to take their toll as neither side threatened before the break.
However, the introduction of Kevin Gameiro alongside Griezmann gave Atletico an added dimension for the final 25 minutes.
Diego Lopez made a fine save to prevent Gameiro turning home Saul Niguez’s knockdown.
However, the former Real Madrid stopper could have done better when Griezmann volleyed home his 25th goal of the season after latching onto Niguez’s deflected shot.
Baptistao should have levelled seconds later when he bore down on goal, but Oblak made himself big to register his eighth clean sheet in 11 games.
Earlier, Villarreal moved back to within eight points of the top four in hugely controversial fashion as Cedric Bakambu punched home a stoppage time winner to cruelly deny Leganes.
