Goals from Gervinho and Moussa Sow saw Lille retain their one-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 with a routine 2-0 win over struggling Nice at the Stade Municipal du Ray on Saturday night.
The league leaders were always in control of the contest but it took goals either side of the half-time interval to sink their hosts, who now lie just three points above the drop zone.
Second-placed Paris St Germain kept up the pressure on Lille with a come-from-behind home 2-1 victory over Sochaux.
Modibo Maiga put the Montbeliard club ahead in the 14th minute but Mamadou Sakho hit back for PSG within three minutes and Ludovic Giuly bagged what proved the winner seven minutes later.
Rennes maintained their title challenge with a convincing 4-0 home win over bottom club Arles.
Alexander Tettey put the home team ahead after 23 minutes and Yacine Brahimi doubled their advantage eight minutes before the interval.
Brahimi bagged a third goal 10 minutes into the second half to quash any hope the basement boys harboured of getting back into the match and Yann M'Vila sealed the rout with a last-minute penalty.
Arles' cause was not helped by the 70th-minute dismissal of Bakary Soro as they slipped to their 14th defeat of the season.
Bafetimbi Gomis led the way with two goals as Lyon showed they have the appetite for a title battle in 2011 with a convincing 3-0 victory over Lorient.
Gomis broke the deadlock just before half-time before adding his second to seal the win, after Kim Kallstrom's stunning volley had made it 2-0.
Toulouse maintained their push for European football with a narrow 1-0 win over Nancy.
Franck Tabanou scored the only goal in the first half to move the home side up to fifth in the Ligue 1 standings, four points adrift of the top four.
The defeat brought an end to Nancy's five-match unbeaten run in the competition and they now lie 13th.
Montpellier came from a goal down to beat 10-man Valenciennes 2-1 and move up to sixth.
Mathieu Dossevi had fired the visitors into the lead after a goalless first half, but they had Rudy Mater dismissed for a foul on Younes Belhanda which allowed Olivier Giroud to level from the spot in the 80th minute.
And the home side were ahead just 60 seconds later as Abdelhamid El Kaoutari headed in the winner, although they also played the last seven minutes a man down after Benjamin Stambouli saw red.
Two late goals earned 10-man Caen a much-needed 3-1 win over Brest which lifted the Ligue 1 strugglers out of the bottom three.
Benjamin Nivet had fired the visitors in front, but Thomas Heurtaux's dismissal and and an equaliser from Bruno Grougi put Brest in the driving seat.
However, Caen dug deep in the last 10 minutes and Youssef El Arabi's penalty and a strike from Romain Hamouma capped a remarkable display which produced their second-successive win.
Lens boosted their survival hopes as they beat St Etienne 2-1.
All the drama came late at the Stade Felix Bollaert, with St Etienne going in front through Bakary Sako after 78 minutes before the home side staged a superb fightback.
Sebastien Roudet fired home a penalty leveller in the 83rd minute and Issam Jemaa saw his shot deflect in for the winner a minute later.
Auxerre were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Monaco in a result which did little to ease either side's relegation fears.
Julien Quercia scored the opener for the home side before Adriano ensured a share of the spoils for the principality club midway through the second half.
Caen's win over Brest means Monaco drop into the bottom three, while Auxerre are just four points better off than their opponents.
