France round-up: PSG triumph

Paris Saint-Germain FC boosted their slim title hopes with a tense 2-1 Le Championnat victory over Stade Rennais FC on Saturday.

Gap closed
Christophe Le Roux's strike set up a nervous last 20 minutes but the Parisians weathered the storm to close the gap on leaders RC Lens to ten points, although the capital club have played a game more than the pacesetters.

Brazilians to thank
PSG took the points thanks to two first-half goals from their all-Brazilian strike force. Luis Fernandez picked Aloisio, Alex Dias and Ronaldinho as his front line and the ploy paid dividends after 20 minutes when the latter scored the opener in typically Brazilian style.

Fine free-kick
He was felled on the edge of the box by former PSG defender Gregory Paisley, and got up to launch a fine free-kick past a helpless Eric Durand. Deep into stoppage time, Alex doubled the lead. Durand was left stranded again after the former AS Saint-Etienne man stroked home Mikel Arteta's through ball.

Champions win
FC Nantes Atlantique, last season's champions, moved away from the relegation zone with a comfortable win over fellow strugglers En Avant Guingamp. Romanian international Viorel Moldovan put Nantes ahead in the 64th minute, heading home a cross from Stéphane Ziani. Defender Sylvain Armand evaded the Guingamp defence to seal the victory in the 81st minute. Both teams were reduced to ten men in the 86th minute when Nantes' Nicolas Laspalles and Guingamp's Blaise Louassi were dismissed.

Bastia fight back
SC Bastia remain a point and a place behind Olympique de Marseille after fighting back from two goals to secure a draw at the Vélodrome stadium. Spaniard Alfonso Perez put Marseille ahead in the fifth minute before Alberto Rivera, another new signing, made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute with his first goal for the club. But Bastia were a different side after the break, midfield player Mickaël Essien equalising in the 69th minute, 16 minutes after Vedran Runje pulled his side back into the game.

Southern sides win
AS Monaco FC consolidated their mid-table position with a 1-0 win over FC Lorient, Marcelo Gallardo grabbing the winning goal in the 74th minute, while Montpellier Hérault SC triumphed at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard by the same score. The southern side had midfield player Cedric Barbosa to thank for the win, their fourth in succession.

Three matches postponed