Lille climbed to second in Ligue 1 on Sunday after Nathan Ngoy's second-half strike secured a 2-1 win away at Rennes, keeping Davide Ancelotti's side two points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

The visitors took the lead at Roazhon Park in the 24th minute through 19-year-old striker Soriba Diaoune, who struck powerfully from the edge of the penalty area. Rennes hit back seven minutes later when Boulaye Dia levelled the scores, but Ngoy settled the contest in the 68th minute, punishing a defensive error to restore Lille's advantage.

The result takes Lille to 21 points from 10 matches, one point ahead of Paris FC in third, as they head into the international break firmly in the title race. Rennes, who lost 5-2 at Nice last weekend, slipped to eighth on 16 points and suffered their first home defeat of the season.

Lille were far from dominant in Brittany. Rennes enjoyed more of the ball and created the better of the early chances, but their decision-making in the final third let them down. Lille, by contrast, were ruthless with the few openings they made, scoring twice from just three efforts on target.

Diaoune's opener underlined his growing influence. The young forward has been in fine form for Lille, having already scored twice against Galatasaray and set up a goal against Monaco, and he was again central here, later providing the pass that led to the winner.

Rennes' equaliser came from Boulaye Dia, who finished in the 31st minute to reward the hosts' bright response. The home side then pushed for a second and came close when substitute Mousa Al-Tamari was denied by goalkeeper Berke Ozer, only for Lille to break forward seconds later and score the decisive goal through Ngoy.

Ozer has been a key figure in Lille's strong start to the season, conceding only seven goals in the league so far. Ancelotti praised the 26-year-old Turkish goalkeeper after the match, saying his desire for success could prove decisive for the team.

The win continued an encouraging start to life in France for Ancelotti, the son of coaching great Carlo Ancelotti, who took charge at Lille in June after the club finished third last season. His side have been strong domestically despite heavy defeats to Arsenal and Galatasaray in the Champions League, and they now boast the best defensive record in Ligue 1.

For Rennes, the defeat capped a difficult week. Franck Haise's side had impressed in the early weeks of the season but have now conceded 21 goals in 10 league matches, a record that makes it hard to compete with the division's best-organised teams.

Lille will return after the international break knowing they remain firmly in the hunt at the top, while Rennes must regroup and rediscover the form that made them early-season frontrunners.