Florian Thauvin scored twice as Olympique de Marseille scored a 4-0 home win over Saint-Etienne to enhance the club's chances of qualifying for Europe.
Fresh from being elected Ligue 1 player of the month for March, Thauvin continued the form that saw him break into the last France squad. His double took him to 12 goals for the season, two more than his previous best established at Bastia in 2012-2013.
OM responded to Bordeaux's victory at Nantes earlier in the day by also claiming the three points. Bordeaux are fifth in the table, a position that will carry a Europa League spot, a point clear of OM, while ASSE are now seven points off fifth, albeit with a game in hand at Monaco.
Visiting attacker Kevin Monnet-Paquet had the first chance of the match in the seventh minute after a Patrice Evra mistake but couldn't find the target. Midway through the half the impressive Thauvin maintained his excellent form as he side-footed home a Morgan Sanson cross.
Thauvin turned provider for OM's second in the 32nd minute, playing the ball to Bafétimbi Gomis at the front post. The ASSE youth product rid himself of Kevin Théophile-Catherine before volleying beyond Stéphane Ruffier for a fabulous goal.
Before the hour the hosts were three to the good as they broke a sequence of three straight league draws. Hiroki Sakai found Thauvin on the counter and the attacker left Leo Lacroix trailing before finishing low and right-footed.
Saint-Etienne, unbeaten in four before the trip to the Vélodrome, are in grave danger now of missing out on Europe after four consecutive continental campaigns. Dimitri Payet became the second former Saint-Etienne hero to score against Les Verts on the night in stoppage time when he latched on to a lofted Sanson pass and finished left-footed.