PARIS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian defender Dani Alves earned leaders Paris Saint-Germain a hard-fought 2-1 road victory over Nice by nodding a late winner, while Lyon bested Marseille 3-2 on Memphis Depay's last-gasp header to keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
In a match kicking off at 1 p.m. local time to help appease Asian fans, Alves, 34, was left unmarked to head home from Adrien Rabiot's curling cross with eight minutes remaining, his first league goal of the season since joining PSG last summer.
PSG lost 3-1 at Nice last April, suffering a huge blow in defending their league title. PSG almost went ahead in the 14th minute, but Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani hit the post after his initial attempt was denied by goalkeeper Walter Benitez.
The hosts broke the deadlock three minutes later, as Alassane Plaa's pass released Allan Saint-Maximin in a counterattack, and the young winger beat PSG goalie Alphonse Areola.
It took PSG four minutes to level the score. In-from Argentine winger Angel Di Maria raced past Nice defender Dante before slotting home, improving his tally of league goals to nine.
Both sides let several chances of scoring slide after the restart. Mario Balotelli saw his effort saved by Areola in the 63rd minute, and the Italian forward's header in the 75th minute just went toward the crossbar.
PSG marched toward their fifth league title in six seasons with an almost unassailable 17-point lead with eight matches remaining.
Third-placed Marseille went up after the half hour mark, when two center backs Adil Rami and Rolando connected well before the latter comfortably beat goalkeeper Anthony Lopes with a close-range shot. However, Rami conceded an own goal in the 42nd minute as he inadvertently deflected Maxwel Cornet's shot into the net.
Fourth-ranked Lyon turned the table seven minutes after the interval, and Houssem Aouar curled in from the edge of the area after being teed up by Bertrand Traore.
In the 84th minute, Marseille substitute Kostas Mitroglou equalized with a header after a Dimitri Payet pass ricocheted off Jeremy Morel.
Depay, who came off the bench in the same minute as Mitroglou, was a decisive factor of the match as his header went over Mandanda and into the net just before the stoppage time.
Both teams were involved in a clash after the final whistle, before the incident was quickly dealt with after security staff came in for an intervention.
Defending champions Monaco remained second following their 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Lille, seven points ahead of Marseille and nine points over Lyon.
The top two teams in Ligue 1 are rewarded automatic qualification into next season's Champions League group phase, while the third-ranked team will start their journey from qualifiers.
Also on Sunday, bottom sides Metz tied Nantes 1-1, and Saint-Etienne beat Guingamp 2-0. Enditem
