Savanier scores sweet volley then gets red card as Montpellier beats Toulouse
PARIS (AP) — Teji Savanier scored a goal-of-the-season contender and was sent off as Montpellier won at Toulouse 2-1 in the French league on Friday.
The veteran midfielder caught a cross from the left with the sweetest of volleys to put the visitor ahead after 26 minutes.
Thijs Dallinga equalized for Toulouse with a powerful header seven minutes later and Savanier’s sending off 20 minutes into the second half looked to have swung the game in the direction of the home team.
However, Khalil Fayad scored the winner with 10 minutes left when he slipped between Toulouse defenders to rifle home.
A minute later, Toulouse center back Rasmus Nicolaisen was red-carded for a second bookable offense.
The win extended Montpellier’s unbeaten run to seven games and lifted it into 10th place, above Toulouse on goal difference.
LENS BEAT LORIENT
Lens deepened Lorient’s relegation worries after winning 2-0.
Lens remained in sixth spot and in contention for a European place next season. Lorient was second to last, one point ahead of Clermont and three behind Metz, both of whom have a game in hand.
The bottom two clubs are relegated and the third to last goes into a playoff.
The first goal came from a woeful lapse in concentration by Lorient’s Tiemoue Bakayoko. The former Chelsea midfielder was caught in possession just yards from goal and Elye Wahi made no mistake with only the goalkeeper to beat.
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