France round-up: Nice take command

OGC Nice returned to the top of Ligue 1 with a 2-0 win against Lille OSC on Saturday.

Defiant form
The sensations of the 2002/03 season in France were in their usual defiant form at the Du Ray stadium as earned a 2-0 win against a Lille side who ended the game with ten men.

Diawara strikes
Abdelmalek Cherrad opened the scoring for the home side just over ten minutes into the second half, but Nice’s task was made easier on the hour as Fernando D’Amico was dismissed for a second yellow card. Kaba Diawara scored Nice’s second to lift them above Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille at the top of the table.

Guignamp stifled
Earlier in the day, En Avant Guingamp missed their opportunity to temporarily take top spot as they lost 2-1 at resurgent Stade Rennais FC in the Breton derby.

Arribage winner
In the 15th minute Guingamp defender Claude Michel gave Rennes the lead with an own goal after goalkeeper Ronan Le Crom had deflected a corner, and Rennes sealed their fifth successive victory through defender Dominique Arribage, who headed home a fine pass by Olivier Echouafni six minutes from time.

Red cards
The visitors pulled a goal back in injury-time through Stéphane Carnot. Both teams finished with ten men each as Echouafni and Guingamp's Christophe Le Roux were shown the red card after an incident in the 90th minute.

Bordeaux triumph
In other evening games, an Amdy Faye goal after just four minutes gave AJ Auxerre a 1-0 win against ES Troyes Aube Champagne, while FC Girondins de Bordeaux came from behind to beat struggling Montpellier Hérault SC 2-1 at home.

Pauleta goal
The visitors had taken a tenth minute lead through Bertrand Robert, but Bordeaux were on level terms midway through the first-half as Savio equalised. A David Jemmali goal barely two minutes set the tone for the second half before Pauleta completed the scoring with just over ten minutes remaining.

Goalless draws
In the evening’s other games, AS Monaco FC could only secure a goalless draw against SC Bastia, and Bastia’s Corsican neighbours AJ Ajaccio also earned a point, holding Paris Saint-Germain FC at the François-Coty stadium, despite playing the last 20 minutes of the game with ten men following the dismissal of Hoalid Regragui.

Matches postponed
The games between Le Havre AC and RC Strasbourg, RC Lens and CS Sedan-Ardennes and FC Nantes Atlantique's game against FC Sochaux-Montbéliard were all postponed. Nantes's match was called off to allow their game at Stade de Reims in the French Cup to be played tonight. Grégory Pujol and Nicolas Gillet scored the goals as Nantes won 2-0.