France round-up: Guingamp go top

En Avant Guingamp are top of the French Ligue 1 after a 3-0 victory at home to Stade Rennais FC.

Malouda double
Florent Malouda scored two of Guingamp's goals as they moved on to seven points, just two ahead of the tenth-placed side. Malouda claimed his first on 32 minutes, Christophe le Roux made it two on 66 minutes, and Malouda completed the scoring just before added time.

Nantes defeated
Guingamp claimed the top spot as FC Nantes Atlantique lost the only 100 per cent record left in the division, as they were defeated 4-2 at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard after being reduced to nine men.

Late comeback
Benoït Pedretti put the home side ahead with a second-minute penalty, but Viorel Moldovan equalised soon afterwards. Nantes' Mauro Cetto was dismissed on 34 minutes, but the visitors held on until half-time and even took the lead just after the hour through Eric Djembe. However, once Mathieu Berson received his second yellow card, Nantes faced an uphill struggle, and goals in the final quarter-hour from Pedreti, Jaouad Zairi and Oruma sealed the game for Socheaux.

Smertin winner
FC Girondins de Bordeaux shrugged off the absence of the suspended Christophe Dugarry to edge out Montpellier Hérault SC and go second. They found the net through Alexei Smertin in the 19th minute and hung on take all three points. It was a determined performance from Bordeaux who also had to cope with the dismissal of David Jemmali in first-half stoppage time.
 
Three-goal Nice
Newly promoted OGC Nice moved into third place, as their 3-0 win at Lille OSC consigned their hosts to the bottom of the division. José Cobos and Cédric Varrault gave the visitors a two-goal half-time lead, and Yoann Bigné sealed the victory with a third in the 72nd minute.

Auxerre away victory
Djibril Cissé scored with seven minutes remaining to give AJ Auxerre a 2-1 win at ES Troyes Aube Champagne that puts them fourth. It had started well for Troyes when Nicolas Goussé claimed a third-minute goal, but Jean-Alain Boumsong equalised just after the hour.

Ajaccio impress
Top-flight newcomers AC Ajaccio secured an impressive 2-2 comeback draw at Paris Saint-Germain FC. The capital side had seemed to be on their way to victory when Martin Cardetti and José Aloisio both scored in the last three minutes of the first half. But Cyril Granon pulled one back for the visitors and Hervé Alicarte levelled the scores with only seconds remaining.

Red cards
In Saturday's other games, a 43rd-minute penalty from striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle earned Le Havre AC a 1-1 draw at RC Strasbourg, although the visitors were left hanging on after the dismissals of William Mocquet and Pierre Ducrocq. On a day of eight red cards there were also two in the match between SC Bastia and AS Monaco FC as Bastia's Florian Maurice and the visitors' Adbelrahmame Mazar were dismissed. Prince Daye's second-half goal was enough to win the game for the Corsicans.

Marseille level scores
Cameroonian international Rigobert Song's winner gave RC Lens a 1-0 victory at CS Sedan-Ardennes, while last night champions Olympique Lyonnais took an early lead, but allowed visitors Olympique de Marseille back into the game to claim a 1-1 draw. Lyon scored a 14th-minute goal through Sydney Govou before Ibrahima Bakayoko levelled for OM just before the half-hour mark.