Reims shows attacking intent with 4-2 win at Marseille

PARIS (AP) — Reims showed its intent to attack home or away with an impressive 4-2 win at Montpellier on Sunday to climb into fifth place in the French league.

Montpellier proudly boasted the second-best defensive record in the league before losing 5-1 at league leader Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

The defense fell apart again with forward Remi Oudin scoring twice as Reims came back from being an early goal down.

Nantes moved further away from the relegation zone and up to 14th place by beating Bordeaux 1-0. Center half Nicolas Pallois volleyed home from a corner in the 51st minute.

Pallois was close friends with Emiliano Sala and attended the Argentine striker’s funeral last weekend. Sala died at the age of 28 when the plane he was in crashed into the English Channel last month.

The single-engine aircraft was flying from Nantes to Cardiff, where Sala was due to start a new career playing for the Welsh capital’s Premier League club.

Pallois and Sala played together for second-tier Niort during the 2013-14 season and at the start of the following season for Bordeaux before Sala joined Caen on loan and then Nantes the following season. They became teammates again when Pallois left Bordeaux to join Sala at Nantes two years ago.

Strugglers Toulouse and Caen drew 1-1 in the afternoon’s other game.

Later Sunday, Marseille was at Rennes and Monaco faced Lyon.

A win for Lyon would move it two points behind Lille in the chase for second place and automatic qualification for the Champions League.

Kylian Mbappe starred again as runaway league leader PSG beat Nimes 3-0 at home on Saturday to move 17 points clear of Lille, having played one fewer game.