Ligue 1: Toulouse edge out Reims to move four points clear of bottom three

Aleksandar Pesic's first-half strike saw Toulouse claim a 1-0 win over Reims which lifted them four points clear of the Ligue 1 bottom three on Saturday.

Pesic found the net in the 41st minute with a lobbed header which proved to be enough to claim victory.

The win boosted Toulouse to 14th in the overall standings while Reims stayed in 11th, four points better off.

Reims tested Ali Ahamada early on when Nicolas de Preville's curling shot forced the Toulouse goalkeeper to make a diving save in the 10th minute.

Wissam Ben Yedder almost put Toulouse ahead midway through the half with a left-footed volley only to be denied by a quick reflex save by Johnny Placide.

Placide denied Pesic's low shot a couple of minutes later but he could not keep the Serbian out four minutes before the break when the striker headed in from the far post.

Toulouse took their lead into the break but Reims came out firing in the second half and went close in the 53rd minute when Alexis Peuget's cross-shot was slapped over the bar by Ahamada.

Le Tefece defender Dragos Grigore made an error on the hour mark which could have ended much worse for his side when Benjamin Moukandjo swooped on a loose ball and fired goalwards, but fortunately for the hosts, Ahamada was alert to the danger.

Oscar Trejo skimmed the bar with an 85th minute shot and Pesic went close with another header two minutes before the full-time whistle, but Toulouse's inability to score a second did not matter, as they held on to claim a narrow victory.