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  • Monday 9 March 2009

    Game back on again: Ligue 1 reviews

    Nice 0-0 Monaco
    Toulouse 3-0 Bordeaux
    Nancy 2-2 Le Mans
    Marseille 0-0 Valenciennes
    Grenoble 2-1 Caen
    Lorient 0-1 PSG
    Lille 2-0 Lyon
    Le Havre 2-1 Sochaux
    Rennes 2-0 Auxerre
    St Etienne 2-1 Nantes

    At the Stade de France on Sunday, Lille threw the title race wide open again, beating Lyon 2-0. Les Gones were a bit off and Lille took full advantage, Robert Vittek heading the opener on the hour and, as Lyon poured forward in search of an equaliser, Michel Bastos scored on the break. It's PSG who slot in just a point behind the multiple champions with the irrepressible Ludovic Giuly volleying home spectacularly to give his side the lead at Lorient. It could have been so different, but Mickaël Landreau saved Rafik Saifi's late penalty to secure the points. Bordeaux lost ground in losing heavily to Toulouse, who leapfrog them to go fourth. Les Violets were in charge from the off and goals to François Sirieix, André-Pierre Gignac (inevitably) and, in stoppage time, Moussa Sissoko stamped TFC's authority all over a sorry looking Girondins outfit. Toulouse are level on points with third placed Marseille who could only manage a draw with Valenciennes who now look down on the relegation places with something approaching contempt. It wasn't a completely insipid 0-0 with chances at either end, but Hatem Ben Arfa and Jean-Claude Darcheville both found the goalkeepers in top form.

    St Etienne also pulled themselves out of the drop zone, coming from behind to beat Nantes, plunging them into big trouble. Ivan Klasnic put Nantes ahead just five minutes in, but Les Verts were level from the penalty spot five minutes later, Aruajo Ilan converting from 12 yards. And Ilan put his side ahead on the half hour. All that leaves St Etienne, Valenciennes and Nantes three points above the drop zone, now occupied by Caen - beaten by Grenoble who did themselves an enormous favour into the bargain - Sochaux and Le Havre. The latter two faced off this week and rock bottom Le Havre won it, coming from behind after Jacques Faty had put Sochaux ahead on 12 minutes. Four minutes later, they were level through Amadou Alassane and Kevin Anin scored the winner just after the break. They remain eleven points from safety, so it still looks a tall order for them to get out of it, but they've halted Sochaux's mini-revival.

    Monaco and Nancy remain just four clear of the relegation places after both clubs drew. The Monagasques drew at Nice 0-0 despite thumping the frame of the goal on a number of occasions. They were left to thank the woodwork for denying Nice a late winner, Loïc Remy striking a post in stoppage time. Nancy twice led at home to Le Mans, Youssuf Hadji opening the scoring after three minutes and André Luiz restoring the advantage after Mathieu Coutadeur's equaliser. They couldn't hold out and Thirstien Helstad levelled it up again. Le Mans lie on 31 points, just five away from trouble, and level with Auxerre whose revival came to a shuddering halt at Rennes. Carlos Bocanegra put Rennes ahead early on and Jimmy Briand doubling the lead ten out from the break.

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