French trio condemned to drop

FC Metz, AJ Ajaccio and RC Strasbourg have all been relegated from the French Ligue 1 after suffering home defeats. With two matches to play, 18th-placed Strasbourg are ten points behind ES Troyes Aube Champagne. In the evening game, Olympique Lyonnais defeated AS Saint-Etienne 4-0 in the Lyon derby.

Kroupi hat-trick
Strasbourg, who reached the last 16 of this season's UEFA Cup, were beaten 3-1 by AS Nancy-Lorraine, for whom Eli Kroupi scored a hat-trick. Nancy lost 1-0 against FC Sochaux Montbéliard and ten-man Ajaccio went down 3-0 to OGC Nice. Those results were rendered academic by Troyes' 3-1 win at home to Toulouse FC, which would have secured their top-flight status irrespective of developments elsewhere. For the first time in six seasons, all three promoted sides have stayed up, with Le Mans UC 72, AS Nancy-Lorraine and Troyes earning another season in Ligue 1.

Record tally

Bordeaux draw
FC Girondins de Bordeaux have all but secured UEFA Champions League football next season with a 2-2 draw against Le Mans, their goals coming from Marouane Chamakh and Jean-Claude Darcheville. They are nine points ahead of Stade Rennais FC, who have three games to play and much worse goal difference. Elsewhere, a late equaliser by Javier Chevantón earned AS Monaco FC a 1-1 draw at home to FC Nantes Atlantique.