PARIS (AP) — Wissam Ben Yedder scored twice Sunday in the French league but could not prevent Monaco from drawing 2-2 at struggling Troyes and losing points in the race for the Champions League.
Fighting with second-placed Marseille for the runner-up spot behind PSG, Monaco remained in third place, one point behind its southern rival.
Runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain has an 11-point lead over Marseille, which played later at Rennes.
Marseille travels to Brittany on the back of a shock elimination in the French Cup midweek against second-tier Annecy, which followed a bitter 3-0 home loss to PSG. That heavy defeat all but terminated its hopes of winning the league title.
Monaco trailed 1-0 with 10 minutes left in the Champagne town after Rominigue Kouame put the hosts in the driving seat with a first-half goal before Ben Yedder struck twice in the space of four minutes.
Ben Yedder leveled in the 79th with a left-footed low shot, then doubled his tally from Aleksandr Golovin’s cross. Ben Yedder’s 16th goal this season was initially disallowed but eventually given after a VAR check.
Only PSG star Kylian Mbappe, who is the league top scorer with 18 goals, has bagged more than Ben Yedder in the French league this season.
Monaco could not hold onto its lead and conceded in added time as Ike Ugbo, left unmarked close to the the goal, headed the ball home past goalkeeper Alexander Nubel. Troyes remained in 19th place.
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