Jamaica-bound Greenwood just misses Ligue 1 golden boot

PARIS (AP):

MASON GREENWOOD, the former Manchester United forward widely expected to be headed to Jamaica, scored twice and delivered an assist yesterday as Marseille sealed a second-place finish in Ligue 1 by beating Rennes 4-2.

Marseille finished four points ahead of third-placed Monaco, who lost to Lens 4-0.

Greenwood’s 20th and 21st goals helped him finish joint top-scorer in the league with PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé.

Under the league rules, Dembelé will take the trophy because he scored less penalties than Greenwood.

In the meantime, Saint-Etienne, one of Ligue 1’s most storied clubs, was relegated as Paris Saint-Germain celebrated their title with fans on the final matchday yesterday.

Despite support from 38,000 buoyant spectators at sold-out Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne lost to Toulouse 3-2 and could not avoid the drop.

Saint-Etienne, who dominated French football during the 1960s and ’70s, joined last-placed Montpellier as the demoted teams. Saint-Etienne immediately returns to Ligue 2.

Le Havre avoided their fate by winning at Strasboug 3-2, thanks to a penalty from Abdoulaye Touré late in added time. Touré, who completed a brace, converted the spot kick with a panenka, allowing his team to leapfrog Reims in the standings and remain in the top flight.

Reims will face Metz in the promotion-relegation play-off. Second-division side Metz edged Dunkerque to secure a spot in the two-leg play-off against Ligue 1’s 16th-placed team.

In Paris, coach Luis Enrique fielded a full-strength squad as PSG celebrated their title at home against Auxerre.

PSG were caught cold by a first-half goal from Lassine Sinayoko but turned things around after the interval with efforts from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who scored twice, and captain Marquinhos, to win 3-1.

PSG won a record-extending 13th Ligue 1 title with six games to spare and are hoping for their first-ever treble. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, Enrique’s team plays Reims in the French Cup final on May 24.

“It’s the best way to get ready for the other matches left,” PSG midfielder Vitinha said.

With 84 points, PSG set a new record for the most points in a 34-match season. They shared the previous record with Saint-Etienne, who achieved 81 points in the 1969-70 season.