In-form PSG close in on Lyon

Paris Saint-Germain FC moved to within a point of leaders Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday after defeating AS Saint-Etienne 2-1.

Clément winner
Both sides return to UEFA Cup action next week but points were the priority at the Parc des Princes. All the goals were scored in the space of eleven first-half minutes with Mamadou Sakho (26) and Jérémy Clément (37) both firing through the legs of St-Etienne goalkeeper Jérémie Janot either side of a Dimitri Payet strike for Les Verts. It was PSG's fourth win in a row and takes them second, their highest placing since November 2005.

Bordeaux held
They trail Lyon by just a single point ahead of the leaders' home game against bottom side Le Havre AC on Sunday and are now two clear of third-placed FC Girondins de Bordeaux who dropped crucial points when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Grenoble Foot 38. After a scoreless first half Marouane Chamakh put Bordeaux ahead on 61 minutes, but for the third match in succession Laurent Blanc's side dropped points, Bostjan Cesar striking for Grenoble with eleven minutes to play to earn the visitors a draw.

Auxerre win
The 1-1 draw proved a common result on the night with Stade Rennais FC and AS Nancy-Lorraine, SM Caen and FC Lorient and Valenciennes FC and FC Nantes Atlantique all playing out the same scoreline. Elsewhere Mahamane Traore scored in the 90th minute to lead OGC Nice to victory away to Le Mans UC 72, and Auxerre won for the second match in a row to pull away from the relegation zone, 2-0 at home to sixth-placed LOSC Lille Métropole. The home side went ahead through first-half goals from Kamel Chafni and Ireneusz Jeleń and were grateful for the cushion following the dismissal of playmaker Thomas Kahlenberg on 77 minutes followed by coach Jean Fernandez soon after.