Red-hot Monaco thrash Marseille to go top

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Red-hot Monaco thrash Marseille to go top
Football Soccer - Monaco v Marseille - French Ligue 1 - Louis II stadium, 26/11/16. Monaco's Valere Germain challenges Marseille's Rod Fanni. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Monaco’s firepower was far too hot to handle for Olympique de Marseille as the Principality side moved top of the French Ligue 1 standings with a 4-0 home win on Saturday.

Gabriel Boschilia, Guido Carrillo and Valere Germain (2) struck for Monaco who have 32 points from 14 matches and average more than three goals per game – more than any other team from the five big leagues in Europe.

They lead second-placed Nice on goal difference, before their neighbours play their game in hand at home against Bastia on Sunday.

Champions Paris St Germain, who are three points off the pace in third, will be without the injured Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore for a tricky trip to fifth-placed Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday.

Marseille, who are 11th on 17 points, got off to a solid start but again proved toothless in attack and they have scored only two goals in their last five league games.

Monaco went ahead in the 23rd minute when winger Boschilia curled a free kick into the top corner.

Six minutes later, Bernardo Silva dribbled past Romain Alessandrini on the right flank and whipped a fine cross into the path of Germain who headed home the second.

The striker netted again six minutes before the interval, curling a shot past Yohann Pele and effectively confirming a comfortable Monaco victory.

Second-half substitute Carrillo made it 4-0 one minute into stoppage time, heading home Monaco’s 43rd league goal of the season after Pele tipped Germain’s lob into the path of the Argentine striker.

The win capped a fine week for Leonardo Jardim’s team, who qualified top of Champions League Group E with a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.