Paris, Apr 6 (IANS): Olympique Lyonnais striker Alexandre Lacazette scored his 24th league goal of the season, earning the former French top division champions their first Ligue 1 away victory in 2017 after beating FC Metz 3-0.

The tie, originally scheduled for early December last year, was suspended after 30 minutes as firecrackers thrown by Metz fans went close to Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Wednesday, Metz were forced to keep their fans out of the stadium.

Fourth-ranked Lyon won their last league game on road after overcoming Monaco 3-1 before Christmas. Lacazette put Lyon ahead in the 59th minute, as he collected midfielder Lucas Tousart's pass to find the target.

Jordan Ferri and Corentin Tolisso secured the visitors' victory with two late goals.

Lyon extended their advantage over Olympique Marseille to seven points, while trailing third-placed Nice by 13 points with seven games remaining in their contest for a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds.

Having played one game less, Monaco and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain remained top two sides on the table, with a three-point gap between them.