Rheims, France (AP) – Florian Thauvin scored one goal and scored twice, Odsonne Edouard hit a double and Reims beat Angers 5-1 on Friday, jumping past Paris Saint-Germain and back to the top of Ligue 1.
Reims are aiming to win their first French title since 1998, but losses to Lorient and Monaco have derailed their bid in recent weeks.
However, they made their intentions clear by achieving a comprehensive victory over a team that had lost five of their past six league games.
Tobin moved the ball in the 13th minute and scored his fourth goal in six games.
He then added Edouard to make it 2-0. Mamadou Sangare added a third goal just before half-time.
Edouard scored his fourth goal three minutes into the second half after receiving a perfectly weighted pass from the outstanding Thauvin. Lanroy Massine scored for Angers 14 minutes later, but it was only a consolation.
Matthew Udle restored Lens’ four-goal cushion with a superb fifth goal.
With this result, Reims has a two-point lead over PSG, who have two games remaining.
Angers, on the other hand, were in 12th place, a far cry from Europe’s rankings, but well above the relegation zone.
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