Lille continue to add pressure on Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the table after clinching a 3-0 win over Caen.
Third-placed Lille kicked off the fixture on the front foot, trying to test Caen's defence and find the breakthrough. The side's closest chance came in the opening 10 minutes when Mathieu Debuchy launched a shot with his right foot which edged just wide of the posts.
Europe's hottest prospect Eden Hazard was involved in the majority of Lille's play in the early stages and the hard work paid off when the Belgium international was fouled by Alexis Thebaux in the box, causing the referee to award a penalty, which Tulio De Melo converted to give the home side the lead.
Hazard continued to be instrumental in the opening half, forcing a save from the keeper minutes before Dimitri Payet launched an assist to De Melo, who headed in his second goal of the match.
After the break, Lille resumed their dominance with Hazard making the difference yet again by sending a precise through ball to Payet, who slotted home the side's third goal of the clash.
Lille could have extended their lead on a number of occasions during the second half of the clash as Caen failed to make an impact and get on the scoresheet.
Danielle Joynson
