Saint-Etienne's French defender Loic Perrin (L) fights for the ball with Marseille's French midfielder Dimitri Payet, during their French L1 football match between Saint-Etienne (ASSE) and Marseille (OM) on Feb 5, 2020, at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, central France. (JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP)

PARIS - Dimitri Payet scored a brilliant goal as Marseille beat Saint-Etienne 2-0 on Wednesday to close the gap to Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain to 12 points.

Dimitri Payet cut into the box from the left and turned Yann M'Vila before slotting the ball home beyond goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier at the near post

The win helped Marseille strengthen their place as league runners-up after two successive goalless draws against Bordeaux and Angers. Andre Villas-Boas's side now sit six points ahead of third-placed Rennes, who lost 1-0 at Lille.

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Payet opened the scoring for Marseille in the seventh minute with a magnificent goal from an impossible angle. The former French international cut into the box from the left and turned Yann M'Vila before slotting the ball home beyond goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier at the near post.

Serbian international Nemanja Radonjic scored a second five minutes before the end to secure the win for the away side.

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Marseille next Ligue 1 fixture is a trip to bottom side Toulouse, who lost 1-0 at home to Strasbourg.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Champions League team Lyon were held to a goalless draw at home by relegation-threatened Amiens, while Montpellier stayed fifth after a 1-1 draw against Metz.