PARIS, Feb. 21 -- Moussa Dembele scored his 14th goal in this season's Ligue 1 as Lyon beat Metz 2-0 to clinch their first league win in five games.
Dembele converted a penalty in the eighth minute of first half injury-time to give the visitors the lead. It was the French striker's 14th goal of the season, and he now sits just one goal behind Ligue 1's leading scorer Wissam Ben Yedder of Monaco.
As Metz poured forward in search of an equalizer late in the game, a swift counterattack from Lyon allowed Houssem Aouar to make it 2-0 in stoppage time, with Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja stranded upfield.
The win moves Lyon up to sixth in Ligue 1 with 37 points, just four points behind third-placed Rennes.
Rudi Garcia's side now take on Italian champions Juventus in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on Wednesday.
In Friday's other game in Ligue 1, Nice squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Brest at home.
Goals from Adam Ounas and Kasper Dolberg helped the hosts take a 2-0 lead after 33 minutes. But Samuel Grandsir pulled one back for Brest at the end of the first half, before Brazilian defender Dante's own goal made it 2-2 in the 53rd minute.
Leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who sit ten points clear of second-placed Marseille, host Bordeaux on Sunday, while Marseille take on Nimes on Saturday.