Marseille head into break as leaders after beating Lille
PARIS, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Olympique de Marseille will lead Ligue 1 into the two-week break thanks to Michy Batshuayi's half-volleyed winner in a 2-1 home victory over Lille on Sunday.
Belgian striker Batshuayi, starting after coach Marcelo Bielsa dropped Dimitri Payet following the France international's poor training performances, scored the 69th minute winner to put OM on 41 points from 19 games.
The goal came eight minutes after Lille's Idrissa Gueye had cancelled out team mate Nolan Roux's first-half own goal to level the scores at the Velodrome.
Marseille lead second-placed Paris St Germain by three points after the French champions drew 0-0 at home against Montpellier on Saturday.
Third-placed Olympique Lyonnais can go second, two points adrift, if they prevail at Girondins de Bordeaux later on Sunday (2000 GMT/4 PM ET).
Marseille imposed their possessive pattern on the game against a Lille side who are now 13th in the standings on 21 points, two points above the drop zone.
Eleven minutes from the break, Florian Thauvin's horribly low corner kick was deflected into his own net by Roux as the hosts took a deserved lead.
Lille hit back but Marko Basa's header from a Florent Balmont free kick was blocked by Steve Mandanda.
In the 61st minute, Djibril Sidibe set up Gueye in the box for the midfielder to beat Mandanda with a low shot.
Batshuayi, who started as a loose forward behind Andre-Pierre Gignac, then controlled Thauvin's cross from the left and sent a half-volley on the turn into the top corner to put OM in front again.
Batshuayi had another chance in the dying seconds but wasted it as he tried to set up Gignac instead of playing it selfishly. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Alan Baldwin)
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