• Monaco secure Ligue 1 win despite loss of striker
• Now only three points behind Paris Saint-Germain

Monaco put the disappointment of losing Radamel Falcao behind them as they cut Paris St-Germain’s Ligue 1 lead to three points with a 2-0 home win over Marseille.

Valère Germain and Emmanuel Rivière scored each side of the interval to put the team from the principality on 48 points from 22 games.

Paris St-Germain, who will travel to Monaco’s Louis II in two weeks’ time, have 51 points after conceding a 1-1 draw at En Avant Guingamp on Saturday.

While Falcao’s season could well be over after surgery on damaged left knee ligaments, his team-mates put in a solid performance without him against Marseille, who slipped down to ninth on 32 points.

Germain put the hosts ahead four minutes before the break, outpacing Souleymane Diawara before beating Steve Mandanda with a low, diagonal shot.

In the 57th minute Rivière found the back of the net, after collecting Geoffrey Kondogbia’s defence-splitting pass, to double the tally.

• Monaco
• Marseille
• Paris Saint-Germain
• Ligue 1
• European club football

theguardian.com