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  • Friday 27 March 2009

    Still tighter than a mermaid's brassiere: (late) Ligue 1 reviews

    Le Havre 0-3 Bordeaux
    Rennes 0-0 Valenciennes
    Nancy 0-1 Monaco
    Auxerre 2-0 Le Mans
    Nice 2-2 Caen
    Lille 2-1 Grenoble
    Marseille 2-0 Nantes
    Lyon 2-0 Sochaux
    Lorient 3-1 St Etienne
    Toulouse 4-1 PSG

    Lyon still lead by a point, but it's all swirling around below that. Marseille have emerged as the leading contenders over the last two weeks, though they will have to play an upcoming match behind closed doors after the club was punished for their fans continuing to deploy flares around the Vélodrome. No worries on the field. Brandao finally opened his Ligue 1 account for the club following his switch from Shakhtar Donetsk. He got the second after Renato Civelli had headed home under no pressure early in the second half. Nantes are in trouble as a result. Big trouble. Toulouse refuse to lie down and, after banging three past Marseille two weeks ago, stuck four past PSG this week. OK, so the loss to Monaco in between sums things up about their season, but they were irrepresible here. Les Violets were terrific here with Bryan Bergougnoux putting them ahead on just six minutes. André-Pierre Gignac and Moussa Sissoko made it three before half-time. Though Larrys Mabiala got one back, Daniel Braaten completed the job and indulged in a spot of breakdancing by way of celebration. Toulouse go ahead of PSG who slip to sixth from second just two weeks ago. Bordeaux despatched Le Havre thanks in no small part to some more Yoann Gourcuff magic, leaving Girondins third and Le Havre 12 from safety with nine games remaining. They're as good as gone.

    Lyon march on while all around them squabble over the scraps. An early goal from Ederson calmed nerves, though the makeshift defence did wobble at times. Jeremy Toulalan and Mathieu Bodmer formed an unlikely centre-half pairing and Hugo Lloris was called on more than he ought to have been. He did the necessaries though, and Anthony Mounier's 71st minute goal sealed it. All of which has pulled Lille right back into the mix, just four points off the pace. They won again, at home to Grenoble with Michel Bastos's penalty setting them on their way and Robert Vittek making it 2-0 before the break. Grenoble didn't roll over though and fought back in determined fashion, though only had Sandy Paillot's injury time goal to show for it.

    St Etienne are in more trouble than they seem willing to admit, but they still look like they should be on the fringes of the UEFA Cup places. That's the sort of football they play, but it ain't working right now. They need results and not the sort like 3-1 defeats away to Lorient. Lorient had slipped down the table, but this win pulls them out of immediate danger. Two goals in two minutes set them on their way - Morgan Amalfitano and Marama Vahirua the scorers - with Rafik Saifi wrapping it up late on after Yohan Benaloune pulled one back. Monaco are just about safe, put plunged Nancy deeper into the mire with Park Chu-Young's goal enough to win their clash. Le Mans still have a bit of breathing space despite a defeat to Auxerre who now are looking up at the UEFA Cup spots. It was a win designed and executed in Poland, with Ireneusz Jelen and Dariusz Dudka scoring early goals.

    Rennes are just falling away from European contention after a goalless draw with Valenciennes in a game in which both sides were reduced a man. Rennes defender Abdou Mangane saw red for a horror challenge on Jonathan Lacourt just 25 minutes in. Clumsy rather than malicious, Lacourt suffered a double fracture of the ankle and there was a lengthy delay as the stretcher was brought on and the midfielder taken quickly to hospital for immediate surgery. Neither side looked interested after that and it was perfectly understandable as to why. Carlos Sanchez was dismissed for VA in the second half for an ugly, mistimed tackle on Stephane M'Bia, fotunately without injury. Caen are still deep in trouble and haven't won since November. They came within an ace of doing so this week against Nice. Loic Remy put the southerners ahead, but second half goals from Vincent Hognon (an own goal that he could do nothing about) and Nicolas Seube put the Norman side ahead. Gregory Leca was then dismissed, but the ten men held out and looked to have done enough, but a minute from time, David Hellebuyck's free-kick was met on the charge by Olivier Echouafni to break Norman hearts. Caen look doomed.

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