Canadian star Jonathan David scored his 23rd goal of the season to help Lille beat Marseille 3-1 on Friday to build a solid foundation for next season’s Champions League. David’s penalty gave Lille the lead early in the second half. Remy Cabella doubled the lead against his old club with a 71st-minute goal. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled a goal back for Marseille but substitute Gabriel Gudmundsson ensured Lille’s victory in the dying seconds. The northern side face Aston Villa in the Europa League quarter-finals next week and sit third in Ligue 1 ahead of the weekend’s remaining fixtures.

They are one point behind second-placed Brest and ahead of fourth-placed Monaco on goal difference, with the gap to fifth-placed Nice now six points.

Ligue 1’s top three will automatically qualify for next season’s expanded Champions League, while the fourth-placed team will advance to Europe’s elite club competition in the preliminary rounds.

Marseille are seventh, which may be enough to qualify for Europe next season depending on who wins the Coupe de France, but they are 10 points adrift of the top four with just six games remaining.

OM, who face Benfica in the Europa League quarter-final first leg in Portugal next week, have suffered four consecutive defeats in all competitions.

Prior to that, they had recorded five wins after Jean-Louis Gasset was appointed as their third coach of the season.

Lille are looking to extend an impressive home record, having lost just one of their previous 37 games at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy since August 2022.

Nine minutes after the break, David was fouled by Samuel Gigot in the penalty area and converted on the spot to give the team the lead.

Sixteen of his goals have come in Ligue 1, with only Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 24, scoring more.

Cabela’s fine finish made it 2-0 for Paulo Fonseca’s side, before Aubameyang gave Marseille a glimmer of hope as he cleaned up a mess at Lille’s backline Next, Aubameyang seemed to have his last chance.

Shortly thereafter, in the 84th minute, Gudmundsson scored Lille’s third goal as they prepared themselves in the best possible way for next Thursday’s game against Villa Park.

Brest host struggling Metz on Sunday, while Monaco entertain Rennes and Nice travel to Reims later the same day.

Leaders Paris Saint-Germain will face bottom side Clermont at home on Saturday.

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