Ligue 1: Sofiane Boufal scored only goal of game for Lille against Evian

Lille kept alive their slim hopes of European football next season as Sofiane Boufal's gave them three precious Ligue 1 points from a 1-0 win at Evian on Sunday afternoon.

St Etienne's victory earlier in the day had put the pressure on Lille to keep in touch with the European places and Nolan Roux and Divock Origi might have put the visitors ahead before the half-hour mark.

Evian needed the points for their own battle against relegation and first threatened when Milos Ninkovic and Nicki Nielsen combined to find Modou Sougou inside the penalty area but Vincent Enyeama produced a wonderful stop in the Lille goal.

Lille looked the most likely team to break the deadlock and Simon Kjaer and Origi went close either side of half-time before Evian stirred and Adrien Thomasson found Nielsen 25 yards out for an instant volley which was deflected wide for a corner.

Boufal's cross then set up Roux for a diving header but Evian goalkeeper Benjamin Leroy responded with a fine save.

Lille were running out of time to find a winner but nine minutes from the end Boufal was brought down by Daniel Wass on his way to goal.

The 21-year-old midfielder picked himself up and his shot was too strong for Leroy even though the goalkeeper went the right way.

Evian went close to an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Jesper Juelsgaard's free-kick forced a stunning save from Enyeama but Lille held on to remain in eighth place.