Monaco maintain early pace

By Chris Burke

Ten-man AS Monaco FC remain a point clear of Olympique Lyonnais at the Ligue 1 summit following their 0-0 draw at the Stade Gerland today.

Perez sending off
Didier Deschamps's team had been controlling possession and looked the most likely scorers until they lost Diego Perez after his second bookable offence on 61 minutes. Lyon pushed forward in search of the winner and it took an acrobatic save from Flavio Roma to deny Mahamadou Diarra from close range as Monaco held firm.

Moussilou goals
An emphatic 4-0 victory for Lille OSC at home to FC Metz moved the northern side level on 16 points with Lyon but ahead on goal difference thanks to a blistering second-half display. Milenko Acimovic's penalty on 18 minutes came against the run of play, yet it was a different story after the restart with two goals from Matt Moussilou and a first of the season from substitute Johan Audel.

PSG win
For a long time it looked as though Paris Saint-Germain FC's terrible run would continue at home to RC Strasbourg, with the capital club failing to find a hole in the division's worst defence. Pauleta scored the winner in the 79th minute, though, and this time PSG held on to record their first win of the season. Strasbourg now prop up the table.

Marseille relief
There was relief for Olympique de Marseille too after a powerful strike from Laurent Batlles was enough to beat visitors SC Bastia. Level with José Anigo's men on 13 points are FC Girondins de Bordeaux after drawing 1-1 at home to Toulouse FC in the Garonne derby. Daniel Moreira cancelled out Marouane Chamakh's fifth goal for Bordeaux this season with just three minutes remaining. Another late equaliser earned ten-man SM Caen a share of the points with AC Ajaccio, while fifth-placed AJ Auxerre were unable find a way through FC Istres's defence in a goalless draw.

Jeunechamp off
Elsewhere, OGC Nice beat Stade Rennais FC 2-0 after Rennes captain Cyril Jeunechamp was sent off and FC Sochaux-Montbéliard defeated AS Saint-Etienne 2-1, Wilson Oruma hitting the winner on 79 minutes. Tomorrow, FC Nantes Atlantique face RC Lens.