LOSC give challengers hope

Ligue 1 leaders AS Monaco FC slipped to a rare defeat as they lost 1-0 to Lille OSC.

Late winner
Unbeaten at home in the league all season, Monaco saw that record come to an end when Matt Moussilou struck a 77th-minute winner for mid-table LOSC. That defeat reduced Monaco's lead to five points, and will be down to four if either AJ Auxerre or Olympique Lyonnais win when they meet tomorrow.

PSG in second
Both Auxerre and Lyon slipped a place today, though, as Paris Saint-Germain FC moved up into second with a 1-0 win at bottom side Toulouse FC. Danijel Ljuboja, who signed for PSG on loan from RC Strasbourg last month, scored the only goal in the 28th minute.

Sochaux held
Neither FC Sochaux Montbéliard or Olympique de Marseille were able to make up much ground, though. Sochaux, two of whose players took part in Tunisia's African Cup of Nations triumph on Saturday, drew 1-1 at home to FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Juan Pablo Francia put Bordeaux ahead on 85 minutes, but in added time Wilson Oruma salvaged a point for Sochaux.

Guingamp victory
Marseille, a point and a place adrift of Sochaux in sixth, were held 0-0 by second-bottom Le Mans UC 72. EA Guingamp, meanwhile, escaped the bottom three as they beat SC Bastia 1-0 thanks to recent signing Harlington Shereni's 16th-minute goal. Montpellier Hérault SC dropped into the relegation zone after they lost 1-0 at home to fellow strugglers FC Metz following Gregory Leca's fifth-minute effort.

Lens delight
FC Nantes Atlantique had the most convincing win of the day as they rose to seventh place with a 3-1 win against OGC Nice, Viorel Moldovan scoring twice. RC Lens are also in the hunt for European places after beating Stade Rennais FC 2-1 - the home side overcoming Rigobert Song's 72nd-minute red card to win six minutes from time through Charles-Edouard Coridon, not long after Frederic Piquionne's equaliser. AC Ajaccio remain in trouble following a goalless draw with Strasbourg.