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Lyon extend lead with Wiltord hat-trick
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-05 10:11
PARIS, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Sylvain Wiltord scored a hat-trick to help Olympique
Lyon start the year in style with a 4-0 demolition of bottom-placed Racing
Strasbourg on Wednesday.
The Ligue 1 leaders, who ended 2005 by slumping
to their first league defeat of the season, losing 3-1 at home to Lille last
month, recaptured their winning ways with a spectacular performance.
Lyon extended their lead to 13 points to keep cruising towards a record fifth
successive title.
Paris St Germain moved into second with a 3-1 home win over Sochaux in their
first match under new coach Guy Lacombe, who replaced Laurent Fournier during
the winter break.
Racing Lens, who fought with 10 men for a 1-1 draw at Olympique Marseille,
drop a spot to third and are now 14 points off the pace.
Senegal defender Habib Beye had put Marseille in the lead with an early
volley when Lens goalkeeper Charles Itandje was sent off for punching Marseille
midfielder Franck Ribery just before the break.
Brazilian defender Hilton gave Lens a share of the points by volleying home
from a corner on 77 minutes.
UNSTOPPABLE WILTORD
"We reacted well after the defeat against Lille," said Lyon's Brazilian
mifielder Juninho.
"What we did was not perfect technically but you could feel that everybody
badly wanted to win.
"We know we're strong and I believe we'll win the title but we're not there
yet."
France forward Wiltord opened the scoring on six minutes for visiting Lyon,
heading the ball through the legs of Nicolas Puydebois after the Strasbourg
goalkeeper had failed to hold a Juninho free kick.
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