Lille strengthened its grip on third place with a 2-1 win at Toulouse, despite having defenders Franck Beria and Pape Souare sent off in quick succession midway through the second half.
Forwards Nolan Roux and Salomon Kalou grabbed a goal each to put Lille 2-1 up before halftime, before Ivory Coast right back Sergie Aurier pulled a goal back for Toulouse in injury time with his sixth league goal of the season.
The win means Lille is provisionally six points clear of Saint-Etienne, which hosts Nice on Sunday.
Also Saturday, it was: Bastia 2, Sochaux 2; Bordeaux 2, Rennes 2; Guingamp 1, Montpellier 2, and Lorient 1, Evian 1.
Seventh-place Bordeaux led 2-0 through forwards Guillaume Hoarau and Diego Rolan, but Rennes earned a point thanks to goals from midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure and winger Romain Alessandrini.
Relegation battlers Sochaux are in 19th place after also throwing away a 2-0 lead.
Ghana forward Jordan Ayew and right back Sebastien Corchia scored late in the first half, but Bastia fought back with goals from Belgian forward Gianni Bruno and former France striker Djibril Cisse.
