Olympique Marseille cut Lille’s lead at the top of Ligue 1 to one point with a 2-1 win at south coast rivals Montpellier on Sunday while at the other end of the table hapless Arles-Avignon were relegated.
Long-time leaders Lille drew 1-1 with Girondins Bordeaux on Saturday to drop points for the second straight game and Marseille’s weekend was made even better by third-placed Olympique Lyon losing 1-0 at Paris St Germain.
Hosts PSG had the better of the first half, but Lyon were bossing the second until defender Zoumana Camara bundled the ball home on 77 minutes following a free kick to send his side up to fourth, just a point behind their rivals.
Former French powerhouses Lyon, in the third and final Champions League qualifying spot, trail Lille by six points with just seven games left.
In Montpellier, Olivier Giroud put the home side in front midway through the second half, but striker Andre-Pierre Gignac quickly equalized for champions Marseille before Nigerian Taye Taiwo netted an 82nd-minute winner from the penalty spot.
Both sides were reduced to 10 men when Marseille’s Loic Remy and Montpellier’s Abdelhamid El Kaoutari were dismissed for a fracas after the award of the penalty.
“I’m especially happy because it was not an easy match,” Marseilles coach Didier Deschamps told reporters. “It was a victory where we showed heart, it wasn’t easy because Montpellier defended very well.”
Bottom side Arles-Avignon, promoted last term but well adrift for months, went straight back where they came from after a 1-0 home defeat by fellow strugglers Valenciennes put them out of their misery and confirmed their relegation.
They now face a fight to increase their meager tally of 13 points and better Racing Lens’ 1989 record of a lowest-ever French top-flight total of 17.
“The relegation saddens me for the players and the supporters,” Arles coach Faruk Hadzibegic said. “Going down obviously doesn’t please me but it’s not a surprise. We knew what to expect.”
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
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