Champions Olympique de Marseille went top of Ligue 1 on Saturday for the first time this season after a 4-0 humbling of Montpellier gave the losers a wake up call to their own title pretensions.
The 1993 European champions replaced Lille, who failed to retain their lead as they were held 1-1 at Girondins de Bordeaux in the late match.
Lille trail Marseille on goal difference and Marseille also have a game in hand which they will play on Wednesday against Stade Rennais.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Rennes’ hopes of going top, in what is a proving a real ding-dong of a battle for supremacy this season with seven teams having been top already, were dented when they lost 2-0 in the Brittany derby to Lorient.
Stade Brestois 29 also entertained dreams of topping the table, but they were thwarted when their home match with struggling Lens was abandoned at halftime because of snow with the match scoreless.
The match is scheduled to go ahead either tomorrow or on Wednesday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Marseille opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Lucho Gonzalez fired home with a half-volley, after being set up by Brandao, giving Montpellier goalkeeper Geoffrey Jordren no chance as the ball zipped past him and nestled in the far corner of the net.
It was a welcome respite for Brandao as he has had a miserable season so far, save a good showing for Marseille in their Champions League win in midweek, and he had missed a sitter in the sixth minute when he fired wide from just 6m out.
The hosts doubled their lead shortly afterwards when Benoit Cheyrou let rip from way outside the penalty area and his shot took two deflections to completely befuddle the unfortunate Jordren. The goal was subsequently marked down as an own-goal to Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
Marseille made sure of the points when the outstanding Mathieu Valbuena put the ball past Jordren after being set up by Lucho with 25 minutes remaining — Loic Remy rubbed salt into the wound with a goal in stoppage-time.
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was impressed by how his team had not suffered a reaction to qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League.
“It is not always easy to go back to league action after the Champions League, but my players did and they did it very well,” Deschamps said. “The win over Spartak Moscow [3-0] has given us confidence and serenity.”
The win came at a cost, though, as they lost promising young Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta to a cruciate ligament injury in the 13th minute which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
“It’s a huge blow. We are really disappointed for him, especially as he was in top form,” Deschamps said.
Alaixys Romao struck just before the hour mark to give Lorient the lead against Rennes when he tapped home after the ball had fallen to him when Rennes goalkeeper Mathieu Douchez saved from Morgan Almafitano.
Lorient wrapped up the match five minutes from time when Jeremy Morel got on the end of Kevin Gameiro’s pass and slotted it past Douchez.
The Riviera derby ended all square as Monaco were held 1-1 at home by Nice after South Korea international Park Chu-young converted a penalty for the side from the Principality, but the visitors squared the match through Eric Mouloungui after he was set up by Cameroon international Emerse Fae.
Early season pacesetters Saint-Etienne’s form has tapered off and they were held 1-1 away at Nancy.
Saint-Etienne took the lead through Loic Perrin in the 50th minute, only for Tahitian Marama Vahirua to rifle home a leveler from long-range 16 minutes later.
Valenciennes got some valuable points in their fight against relegation as they trounced hapless Arles-Avignon 3-0, to leave the losers with just one win in their 15 Ligue 1 matches and a paltry return of six points, leaving them nine points adrift of safety.
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