Marseille shrink Lille's league lead
Sunday, April 17, 2011
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Olympique de Marseille moved to within a point of leaders LOSC Lille Métropole after a 2-1 win against Montpellier Hérault SC, while Paris Saint-Germain FC sunk Olympique Lyonnais.
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Olympique de Marseille's hopes of retaining their Ligue 1 title gained credence after the French champions came from behind to beat Montpellier Hérault SC 2-1.
The visitors must have feared the opportunity to rein in LOSC Lille Métropole, who drew 1-1 with FC Girondins de Bordeaux on Saturday, had gone when Olivier Giroud (64) broke the deadlock for Montpellier (64). André-Pierre Gignac soon restored parity (69), however, before Taye Taiwo (82) made sure of the points with a penalty after both sides had been reduced to ten men following the dismissals of Loïc Remy and Abdelhamid El Kaoutari.
Third-placed Olympique Lyonnais could have moved to within three points of the summit but defeat by Paris Saint-Germain FC in the late fixture thwarted their title charge. Instead Zoumana Camara's winner (76) revived PSG's European ambitions and took the capital club up to fourth, a point behind Claude Puel's side.
At the other end, AC Arles-Avignon's fate was confirmed by a 1-0 home loss to Valenciennes FC. Grégory Pujol's strike (68) condemned the bottom side from Provence to relegation to Ligue 2.
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