Battling Bordeaux turn up the heat

FC Girondins de Bordeaux maintained their Ligue 1 title bid with yet another hard-fought win, overcoming Le Mans UC 72 3-2 to move three points clear at the top, while SM Caen climbed out of the relegation zone by defeating FC Sochaux-Montbéliard 2-0.

Planus strike
Comebacks and late winners have been a recurrent feature for Bordeaux of late and they again required both to overcome a Le Mans side eager to distance themselves from danger. Anthony Le Tallec put the visitors ahead after 26 minutes with a shot from 20 metres out and although Marouane Chamakh (38) and Yoann Gourcuff (45) conspired to send Laurent Blanc's men in on top at half-time, Le Tallec struck for a second time eight minutes after the restart. Desperate to extend their winning run to nine matches, Bordeaux earned victory through Marc Planus with 15 minutes remaining, meaning Olympique de Marseille must defeat Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday to move back in front on goal difference.

PSG setback
The defending titleholders will go into that match determined to consolidate their hold on France's third UEFA Champions League spot after fourth-placed Paris Saint-Germain FC failed to advance their own claims at home against AJ Auxerre. The capital outfit lost 2-1 to remain a point below Lyon, having played a game more.

Gignac equaliser
In the lower reaches, Caen gave themselves a massive boost with victory over fellow strugglers Sochaux. Steve Savidan scored twice to lift the Normandy outfit up to 16th, with Sochaux now floundering in the bottom three. In 17th, AS Saint-Etienne appeared set for a priceless victory, only to concede an 88th-minute equaliser as top scorer André-Pierre Gignac plundered his 22nd of the season for Toulouse FC in a 2-2 draw. Elsewhere, Valenciennes FC moved a point nearer to safety with a 1-1 stalemate at AS Monaco FC, FC Lorient and relegated Le Havre AC recorded the same scoreline and there were no goals between Grenoble Foot 38 and AS Nancy-Lorraine.