Toulouse, Marseille keep up Lyon chase
Saturday, October 4, 2008
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Toulouse FC and Olympique de Marseille are the teams with the tightest grip on Olympique Lyonnais' coat-tails after Ligue 1's second and third-placed sides recorded home victories over AJ Auxerre and SM Caen.
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Toulouse FC were the prime movers in Ligue 1 on Saturday as they beat AJ Auxerre 1-0 to go two points behind leaders Olympique Lyonnais.
Fourth straight win
Alain Casanova's team put pressure on Lyon, who visit Stade Rennais FC on Sunday, thanks to a 55th-minute strike from André-Pierre Gignac which secured Toulouse's fourth successive victory, this one at their Stade Allée Gabriel Biénés. It was the 22-year-old forward's third goal in two games. Olympique de Marseille sit a further point back, in third position, after seeing off SM Caen, 2-1, at the Vélodrome.
Change of luck
Mamadou Niang, Marseille's scorer in the midweek UEFA Champions League defeat at Club Atlético de Madrid, was the match-winner on this occasion – heading the decisive goal on the hour after Hatem Ben Arfa's effort came back off the crossbar. Ben Arfa had broken the deadlock after two minutes, only for Caen to equalise through Steve Savidan midway through the half. Erik Gerets's side were left hanging on after Karim Ziani's 70th-minute sending-off.
Bordeaux fightback
France's other UEFA Champions League contender, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, went fifth after coming from behind to beat lowly FC Lorient. The hosts had led courtesy of Michael Ciani's 58th-minute strike, but Laurent Blanc's men rallied to score two goals in four minutes – on 66 and 69 – through Fernando Cavenaghi. LOSC Lille Métropole won the late game, 1-0 at home to Valenciennes FC, to take over sixth spot. Jacques Abardonado's 69th-minute own goal made the difference.
At the death
Another 2-1 away victory went to Le Mans UC 72, the team separating OM and Bordeaux in the table, who prevailed at bottom club Le Havre AC. It was a notable win for Le Mans because, trailing to a 13th-minute effort by Amadou Alassane, they levelled matters as late as the 89th minute, through Modibo Maiga, before stealing the spoils three minutes later when Gervinho scored.
Lifeline
FC Nantes Atlantique pulled out of the relegation zone after overcoming a fellow promoted team, seventh-placed Grenoble Foot 38. Christian Bekamenga's 77th-minute goal divided the sides, earning visitors Nantes only their second maximum haul of the season. Another club eager for points, FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, drew 1-1 at OGC Nice as Valter Birsa's 73rd-minute goal annulled the opener from Nice's Olivier Echouafni.