Puel unperturbed by title pretenders

Olympique Lyonnais coach Claude Puel remains confident of securing Les Gones's eighth successive league title despite his team being knocked off the top of Ligue 1 for the first time since September last weekend.

Home draw
The champions drew 2-2 at home with AS Monaco FC last Sunday, a result which, coupled with Olympique de Marseille's 4-1 defeat of Grenoble Foot 38, meant Lyon dropped to second, a point behind the southern outfit. Five points separate the top six clubs and with a trip to third-placed FC Girondins de Bordeaux to come this Sunday, the Stade de Gerland club's title credentials face a thorough examination though Puel remains sanguine. "There are still a lot of games to play, even if we have a few tough matches ahead," he said, with an eye on forthcoming fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain FC and Marseille. "It is an opportunity as we'll meet all the title chasers – anything is possible. First place is only important to have at the end of the final game."

Faith
Puel's thoughts are echoed by club stalwart Sidney Govou, an interested observer as he remains sidelined with an achilles tendon picked up in December. "I have faith in my team-mates," said the 29-year-old, whose absence could be all the more keenly felt as Jérémy Toulalan is doubtful because of a foot problem. "We know what we have to do. We should consider playing our rivals as a chance."

Blanc grounded
Lyon can seize that chance at a sold-out Stade Chaban-Delmas, where they have not lost since May 1999, when Bordeaux won their last league title. Bordeaux triumphed for the fourth successive league game last Saturday, 2-0 at AJ Auxerre, but despite topping the table overnight, coach Laurent Blanc has played down their championship chances. "We are not vying for the title but for a place on the podium," he said, perhaps mindful of the knee problem hampering his side's 13-goal leading scorer, Fernando Cavenaghi.

Other matches
Toulouse FC, in fourth, travel to Grenoble on Saturday while 24 hours later sixth-placed PSG welcome lowly Le Havre AC, looking for a pick-me-up following Thursday's UEFA Cup elimination at FC Dynamo Kyiv. Marseille will be seeking a similar tonic at mid-table FC Lorient having been knocked out by another Ukrainian side, FC Shakhtar Donetsk.