PARIS (AP) — Rennes rallied to beat Lens 2-1 Sunday with goals from Sylvain Wiltord and Jerome Leroy to move up to third in the French league.
Leroy converted a rebound after Lens goalkeeper Vedran Runje saved the Rennes midfielder’s shot off a cross from Wiltord in the 77th minute.
Rennes has 24 points from 12 games and is level on points with second-place Nancy, which has a better goal difference and a game in hand.
Lyon leads with 25 points and visits Paris Saint-Germain later Sunday.
"It’s team spirit which is prevailing at Rennes," midfielder Olivier Sorlin said. "There has been a turnover since the beginning of the season. Yet, we still play well. The most important is to keep going."
Lens remains in the relegation zone with nine points.
Playmaker Olivier Monterrubio put Lens ahead in the 50th, beating Rennes goalkeeper Patrice Luzi with a low shot from the edge of the box after a neat one-two with Eric Carriere.
But Wiltord levelled for Rennes in the 58th. The former France forward ran to the far post to flick in a curling cross from Sorlin that bounced off Lens defender Adama Coulibaly.
Rennes was the most threatening side in the first half.
Forward Jimmy Briand burst down the right flank in the eighth minute to cross the ball inside the Lens area, but Etienne Didot volleyed over the crossbar.
Sorlin nearly scored in the 12th with an angled side-footed drive that went just wide of the post.
Wiltord rounded the Lens defence in the 26th but chipped the ball over the crossbar.
Meanwhile, a late goal helped Toulouse draw 1-1 with Le Mans.
Benin midfielder Stephane Sessegnon opened the scoring for Le Mans, outpacing the Toulouse defence before shooting into the top corner of the net in the 61st.
Nicolas Dieuze equalized in the 82nd. The Toulouse midfielder stretched inside the area to divert a free kick from Bryan Bergougnoux and beat goalkeeper Yohann Pele.
In Saturday’s games, it was Bordeaux 2, Valenciennes 1; Metz 0, Nancy 0; Sochaux 2, Marseille 1; Lorient 0, Nice 0; Saint-Etienne 0, Auxerre 0; Lille 0, Strasbourg 3; and, Monaco 0, Caen 0.