Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Olympique de Marseille's Dimitri Payet celebrates scoring their first goal with Nemanja Radonjic REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
Olympique de Marseille consolidated second place in Ligue 1 as Dimitri Payet's second-half strike gave them a 1-0 win over bottom side Toulouse on Saturday.
Payet struck six minutes into the second half to put Marseille on 49 points from 24 games, trailing leaders Paris St Germain, who host Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday, by nine points.
Third-placed Stade Rennais are eight points behind OM after they were held to a goalless draw at home by Brest.
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Olympique de Marseille's Dimitri Payet celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
Toulouse, who have suffered 17 league defeats this season, have 13 points.
Marseille were made to wait to open the scoring by a resolute Toulouse side at the Stade Velodrome, but Payet broke the deadlock in the 51st minute with a trademark curled effort from 25 metres.
It was Payet's eighth league goal of the season.
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Olympique de Marseille's Bouna Sarr in action with Toulouse's Issiaga Sylla and Ibrahim Sangare REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
The Provence side, who were once again helped by a sterling performance from keeper Steve Mandanda, have not yet conceded a single goal in Ligue 1 in 2020.
Elsewhere, the league's top scorer Wissam Ben Yedder and Islam Slimani struck late as Monaco claimed a 2-1 win at Amiens to jump up to fifth on 35 points, five behind fourth-placed Lille.
PSG will be without Neymar when they take on Lyon on Sunday after coach Thomas Tuchel said it was 'too early' for the Brazil forward to get back to action after picking up a rib injury last weekend.
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Olympique de Marseille's Duje Caleta Car and Valere Germain watche the ball with Toulouse's Ruben Gabrielsen and Issiaga Sylla REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Toulouse's Quentin Boisgard in action with Olympique de Marseille's Jordan Amavi REUTERS/Jean-Paul PelissierSoccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Toulouse's Wesley Said in action REUTERS/Jean-Paul PelissierSoccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Toulouse's Aaron Leya Iseka in action with Olympique de Marseille's Duje Caleta Car and Boubacar Kamara REUTERS/Jean-Paul PelissierSoccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Toulouse's Aaron Leya Iseka in action with Olympique de Marseille's Steve Mandanda REUTERS/Jean-Paul PelissierSoccer Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique de Marseille v Toulouse - Orange Velodrome, Marseille, France - February 8, 2020 Olympique de Marseille coach Andre Villas Boas REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
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