Toulouse demolish visiting Bordeaux to seal third place

Sweden striker Johan Elmander scored three goals and Toulouse beat visiting Bordeaux 3-1 on Saturday to clinch third place in the French league and a place in next season's Champions League qualifying rounds.

The win means Toulouse finished with 58 points — one point more than Rennes, Lens and Bordeaux. But those three teams could contest the final standings with the French league.

Toulouse was not expected to challenge for third place after drawing 0-0 at Nantes last weekend.

However, with only 3 minutes left in that match — and with Toulouse down to 10 men after a player was sent off — the game was abandoned because Nantes fans invaded the field. Late this week, the French league awarded Toulouse three points for a win — giving it an additional two points — because of the invasion from the Nantes fans.

To make things even more painful, Rennes was winning 1-0 at Lille on John Utaka's goal when Nicolas Fauvergue leveled for the home side with a header late in the game.

Rennes finished fourth, Lens fifth and Bordeaux sixth, with only goals difference separating the trio.

All four teams entered the final round with a chance of finishing third, but now Toulouse has a chance to play the European Cup for the first time in 20 years.

Lyon, already assured of its sixth straight title, beat Nantes 3-1 at home to finish with 81 points from 38 rounds.

Marseille beat visiting Sedan 1-0 on Samir Nasri's goal, and came in second with 64 points, earning an automatic spot in the Champions League.

At Toulouse, Wendel scored in the 17th when his swerving free kick went through the legs of goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez.

Elmander tied it in the 38th with a diving header at the near post, added another header from Paulo Cesar's cross in the 51st, and scored again in the 71st.

At Troyes, Gael Danic's diving header gave the home side an early lead and things got worse for Lens when Marco Ramos was sent off in the 35th for a violent two-footed tackle on Yann Lachuer.

Blaise Matuidi and Lachuer scored early in the second half.

Shortly after the third Troyes goal, Lens fans threw stuff on the field and the match was held up for several minutes while riot police restored order.

At Lyon, coach Gerard Houllier took charge of the team for the last time — he resigned on Friday — and he saw a final win with two goals from Florent Malouda and one from Karim Benzema.

Elsewhere, Pauleta's 15th goal of the season gave Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 win at Lorient and ensured the former Portugal striker finished as the top scorer in the French league for the third time in his career.