PARIS: Dimitri Payet and Florian Thauvin netted second-half goals as Marseille defeated Caen 2-0 on Friday to climb above Lyon and into second place in France's Ligue 1.
Former West Ham winger Payet broke the deadlock on 55 minutes from the penalty spot after Bouna Sarr was brought down in the area by Vincent Bessat.
Thauvin sealed a fourth straight league win for Marseille with his team-leading 10th goal of the season on 74 minutes, curling a terrific 20-yard strike into the top corner.
Rudi Garcia's team moved two points clear of Lyon, who host runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain in the game of the weekend on Sunday.
PSG are nine points clear following Wednesday's record-breaking 8-0 rout of Dijon at the Parc des Princes.
Defending champions Monaco, in fourth, are at home to bottom-of-the-table Metz.