Monaco continue to set pace

AS Monaco FC weathered a spell of intense pressure from RC Lens on Saturday before scoring their goals in a 2-0 victory to keep them top of Ligue 1, three points clear of Olympique Lyonnais.

Giuly opener
Seydou Keita squandered Lens' best chance against the leaders, drawing a fine save from the Monaco goalkeeper, before Ludovic Giuly opened the scoring. There were 58 minutes on the clock when the midfield player met Jérôme Rothen's shoulder-high cross with a spectacular volley to put the home side ahead. Giuly turned provider for Monaco's second goal, Fernando Morientes doubling the margin of victory.

Drogba delight
The win allowed Monaco to pull clear of champions Lyon, who had beaten RC Strasbourg on Friday night to move level at the top. Third-placed Olympique de Marseille, still six points off the pace, kept up the pressure with a 2-0 victory away against struggling Lille OSC. The prolific Didier Drogba and midfield player Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' did the damage for Marseille - who are the only Ligue 1 side yet to draw a game this season.

Fifth defeat
FC Sochaux Montbéliard sit a further three points behind in fourth after inflicting EA Guingamp's fifth home defeat of the season by the odd goal in three at the Roudourou.
Pierre-Alain Frau put Sochaux ahead and Santos doubled the lead with a flying volley, although the visitors were made to sweat when Milovan Sikimic pulled one back from a free-kick late on.

Perfect ten
Second-half goals from captain Yann Lachuer and Djibril Cissé - his tenth of the season - handed fifth-placed AJ Auxerre a 2-0 victory against FC Metz at Saint-Symphorien and FC Nantes Atlantique recovered from going a goal down early on to record a 3-1 win at SC Bastia. Marama Vahirua, Hassan Ahamada and Stéphane Ziani scored the goals for the visitors, whose success was soured by the sending off of Pascal Delhommeau for a rash tackle.

Goalless draw
Montpellier Hérault SC's 3-1 home victory against AC Ajaccio meant the only top-half teams besides Lens to drop points were Paris Saint-Germain FC and OGC Nice, who played out a goalless draw at the Parc des Princes on Sunday evening. The weekend's only other games were FC Girondins de Bordeaux's 2-1 home win against Stade Rennais FC and the 1-1 draw between Toulouse FC and Le Mans UC 72 in a basement battle which did neither side any favours.