St-Étienne and OM maintain push for third spot

AS Saint-Étienne and Olympique de Marseille kept the pressure on LOSC Lille in the fight for third place in Ligue 1 with hard-fought victories on Saturday.

Going into the weekend LOSC, who face Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday, held a three-point advantage over St-Étienne but they are now side by side after Les Verts clinched a 2-0 victory over SC Bastia. Brandão broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark, though the game was in the balance – with chances for both sides – before Fethi Harek put through his own net late on.

Brandão scored St-Étienne's equaliser against Marseille last weekend and OM looked set for more frustration at FC Lorient until André-Pierre Gignac struck the only goal of the game eight minutes from time. It kept José Anigo's charges two points adrift of their main rivals for third spot.

Late goals were the order of the day in France. Rémy Cabella's 94th-minute effort wrapped up a 2-0 win for Montpellier Hérault SC at home to bottom side AC Ajaccio, while Mustapha Yatabaré's goal deep into added time for EA Guingamp was all that separated them and OGC Nice.

FC Girondins de Bordeaux sealed a 2-1 victory at home to Évian Thonon Gaillard FC late on. Abdul Majeed Waris looked to have done the same for Valenciennes FC when he struck for a second time against fellow strugglers FC Sochaux-Montbéliard with four minutes left, only for Florian Marange to make it 2-2.