Bordeaux beaten as Lyon savour perfect day

Olympique Lyonnais have re-established a four-point lead in Ligue 1 after their 3-1 win at OGC Nice combined with a damaging 1-0 loss for pursuers FC Girondins de Bordeaux at fourth-placed Olympique de Marseille.

Own goal
Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux were desperate to avoid slipping up in the race for honours and they began in convincing fashion at the Stade Vélodrome, before slowly letting their hosts impose themselves. The start of the second half bore a number of set-piece opportunities for Erik Gerets's side and after 57 minutes they scored from one, Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh heading past his own goalkeeper after being perplexed by a Karim Ziani free-kick. Souleymane Diawara's sending off three minutes from time did little to aid the visitors' cause and OM held on to force their way back into contention for a UEFA Champions League berth.

Makoun double
Earlier in the day, seven-time champions Lyon had stepped up the pressure on their rivals with a straightforward victory in southern France. Goals from Jean II Makoun and Karim Benzema gave Claude Puel's side a two-goal cushion after 26 minutes and, despite Onyekachi Apam reducing the deficit on the stroke of half-time, Cameroonian midfielder Makoun headed in ten minutes from the final whistle to secure victory. By that point, the hosts were playing with ten men, having lost Julien Sablé to a 56th-minute red card, and they ended with nine after Adeilson went the same way on 84 minutes. In the day's other game, Grenoble Foot 38 drew 0-0 with relegation-threatened Valenciennes FC.