Hazard helps Lille hammer Valenciennes
Reuters - Sunday 18 March 2012, 22:46
Eden Hazard scored the opener
and set up two other goals to help Ligue 1 champions Lille seal
a comprehensive 4-0 home win over neighbours Valenciennes on
Sunday.
Lille stay third, in the Champions League qualifying round
berth, on 50 points from 28 games. They are seven adrift of
second-placed Montpellier with Paris Saint-Germain top of the table
on 59 points.
In full view of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, who
was sat in the crowd, Hazard delivered a brilliant performance
and gave the hosts the lead on 18 minutes when he netted from
close range after a fine collective move.
Lille doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Benjamin
Angoua turned the ball into his own net after a break which
Belgium winger Hazard had started.
Aurelien Chedjou and Tulio De Melo then both headed home
from Hazard corners to complete the easy victory.
Hazard was a constant threat throughout and could have set
up at least two other goals in the first half but goalkeeper
Nicolas Penneteau denied Florent Balmont and Mathieu Debuchy
shot wide.
"The coach told me before the match," Hazard told French
television Canal+ when asked about Mancini's presence.
"I try to be always the same on the pitch, to play my game
and show what I am able to do," added the much-hyped Belgian,
who was watched by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson last
weekend.
Toulouse climbed up to fourth spot after a Romain Danze
own-goal earned them a 1-0 victory at Stade Rennes.
Danze diverted in Emmanuel Riviere's soft shot on the stroke
of half-time.
Toulouse trail Lille by three points, while Rennes dropped
to seventh on 44 points.
"Since the season began, we have been saying to ourselves
that we have a great team. We are more mature, we have been
playing together for five years. We grew up," Toulouse
midfielder Moussa Sissoko told television channel Foot+.
Edouard Butin and Marvin Martin scored either side of the
interval to help hosts Sochaux defeat Nice 2-0 in their
relegation clash.
Sochaux went up to 19th on 27 points while Nice stay 18th
with the same tally but ahead on goal difference. The pair are
two from safety.
Butin volleyed in the opener in first-half stoppage time and
Martin added the second when he bent the ball in from outside
the box.