Olympique Lyon re-established themselves as Ligue 1 leaders with a 2-0 victory at home against struggling Sochaux on Sunday.

Goals by Brazilian Ederson and substitute Anthony Mounier and a great performance by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris helped Lyon end their worst losing streak since 1991 after four consecutive defeats in all competitions.

The seven times champions lead the table on 56 points with nine games left, one ahead of Olympique Marseille, who went provisionally top with a 2-0 home win over Nantes on Saturday night.

"We needed that victory and the whole team rose to the challenge in difficult circumstances," Lyon coach Claude Puel told Foot Plus television channel.

Lyon not only let rivals narrow the gap in Ligue 1 but have also been knocked out of the Champions League and the French Cup in the past weeks.

Ederson put them in front early in the game on Sunday. The Brazilian forward collected a cross from Argentinian Cesar Delgado and then found the back of the net with a powerful right-footed shot from inside the box in the middle of a passive Sochaux defence in the 13th minute.

Lyon, who missed suspended Cris and injured Jean-Alain Boumsong, fielded a depleted defence with usual midfielders Mathieu Bodmer and Jeremy Toulalan pairing at centre back.

Both players were never put to the test in the first half but they struggled after the interval as Sochaux pushed harder to try to equalise.

Lyon needed two great saves by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on close-range shots by Turkey forward Mevlut Erding and Czech striker Vaclav Sverkos to keep their one-goal lead before Mounier doubled their advantage.

The 21-year-old winger fired home from close range after his header was saved by Sochaux goalkeeper Teddy Richert in the 70th minute.

"We were tired in the second-half and that goal was a relief. Hugo (Lloris) also did us well after the interval," Puel said.

"We have confidence again and this is important for the end of the season," he added.

Sochaux stayed last above the drop zone on goal difference as third-bottom St Etienne, also on 29 points, lost 3-1 at mid-table Lorient.

Toulouse, sixth on 49 points, and Paris St Germain, fifth on 52, will try to keep pace with the top teams when they meet in southern France later on Sunday (2000).