Wissam Ben Yedder scores Monaco closer to Champions League return football news

Wissam Ben Yedder scored twice as Monaco moved closer to a return to the Champions League by beating Ligue 1 basement club Clermont 4-1 on Saturday. The Principality side lost 3-2 to Lyon last weekend, but with two games remaining this season they ensured maximum points at their Louis II Stadium to consolidate second place. Paris Saint-Germain are already champions and have a week off from domestic duties. Surprise package Brest finished third after being held 0-0 at home by Nantes in Saturday’s late match.

In the four-way battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League, Monaco have 61 points, four ahead of Brest, Lille on 55 and Nice on 51.

However, Lille can move up to third when they welcome in-form Lyon to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Monday.

While Monaco took a big step towards playing in the Champions League for the first time since the 2018-2019 season, Clermont are virtually doomed to return to Ligue 2.

Takumi Minamino gave the hosts the lead after a poor clearance from Maximiliano Caffrey, with the Japanese international firing his eighth goal of the season into the top corner after an hour.

Pascal Gastien’s Clermont fought back with Muhammad Cham equalizing for the visitors after 34 minutes.

But just three minutes later Ben Yedder set up Briel Embolo for the Swiss player’s first goal of the season in his first start this campaign after a serious knee injury.

The Monaco captain scored his team’s third goal in the 57th minute and added his second in three minutes to score his 117th club goal in all competitions.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)