Two horse race: Ligue 1 reviews

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

Bordeaux 4-0 Vannes (league cup final)

Not for the first time in recent memory, the league in France is reduced to a two horse race with five games to go. The only unusual thing about it is that Lyon are not one of the horses. It now looks a straight fight between Bordeaux and Marseille with the latter having the upper hand at this stage. Bordeaux took the first silverware of the year on Saturday, predictably getting past Ligue 2 Vannes 4-0 at the Stade de France. Bordeaux's all but certain top two finish means that Vannes find themselves in the Europa League for next season, despite being four down at half time before Bordeaux relaxed in the second period. The one down side for Laurent Blanc's side was that Wendel managed to get injured and faces being out for the rest of the season.

Bordeaux had to back it up on Wednesday night against Rennes and a late, late, late winner from Yoann Gourcuff, in response to Moussa Sow's late equaliser, sealed a win meaning they remain two points behind Marseille and four clear of Lyon in third. All that late drama came after Bordeaux had gone one goal and one man down, Romain Danze giving Rennes a first minute lead and Marc Planus dismissed 26 minutes later for an ugly, late challenge. Yoann Gouffran equalised just after the hour before Gourcuff put Bordeaux ahead with a free-kick through a gaping hole in the wall before all that last minute drama.

Marseille remain top of the pile after coming from behind to beat Lille who are still in the frame for the Europa Cup. Michel Bastos missed a penalty in the first half, but Eden Hazard - attracting interest from across the football spectrum - did put them ahead just after the break, but two goals in two minutes did it for Marseille, Benoit Cheyrou and Mamadou Niang sealing a win for Eric Gerets' men. After the game, Gerets revealed that he's not sticking around, whatever happens. Clever money says he's off to Bayern Munich.

Lyon and PSG had to win their game at the Gerland to maintain a credible title challenge, one felt before the weekend began. Neither could, though Karim Benzema rattled the bar in the second half and Guillaume Hoarau met Hugo Lloris in characteristically wonderful form. Toulouse also drew, though they were fortunate for that, Mauro Cetto captialising on goalkeeping howler of the week late on to level André Ayew's opener for Lorient.

Goal of the week came at the Abbé-Deschamps in Auxerre where the home side won it through two late Ireneusz Jelen goals snatched a win from Caen who had gone ahead through Gregory Proment. Jelen's first came from a horribly misplaced backpass, but his second and the winner was a lovely flick up and volley from a tight angle. Delicious. Monaco are safe now having beaten Le Mans in less than convincing fashion, Park Chu-Young's goal coming just three minutes from time and they're ending the season in pretty decent form and may yet trouble the European places.

Down at the bottom, St Etienne lost again, 3-1 at Nice. They're just a point ahead of Caen, but still within a lick of safety with Nantes - 2-0 losers at Nancy - and Sochaux who drew one apiece with Valenciennes. Le Havre lost at home to Grenoble and are now thirteen from safety. Anything less than a win away at Nantes next week and they are gone.