Lyon reap reward as rivals falter

Aruna Dindane dealt Olympique de Marseille a minor setback as RC Lens battled back to earn a 1-1 draw in Ligue 1, despite playing much of the second half with ten men. Third-placed AS Nancy-Lorraine could not capitalise, however, as they too were held on their travels.

Key dismissals
In the end, Nancy would have been grateful for a point having withstood a lot of second-half pressure from Le Mans UC 72 after Pascal Berenguer's dismissal saw them reduced to ten men soon after half-time. They held on for a goalless draw but the opposite is true of Marseille who appeared on course for victory when Grégory Vignal was dismissed and Mamadou Niang scored from the penalty spot in the space of two minutes after the hour. But they left the Stade Félix-Bollaert disappointed as Dindane kept his cool to convert another spot-kick as Olympique Lyonnais stay five clear at the summit.