France round-up: Bordeaux end Monaco's unbeaten run

Ligue 1 leaders AS Monaco FC could be replaced at the top of the table by Olympique de Marseille after slipping to a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

Unbeaten run ended
The result ended Monaco’s 13-match unbeaten run in the league, and meant they stayed level on points with Marseille, who are at home to Paris Saint-Germain FC on Sunday.

Darcheville decisive
Bordeaux’s win, which moved them to within three points of the leaders in fourth place, was secured thanks to a 71st-minute goal from striker Jean-Claude Darcheville.

Lyon in the hunt
Champions Olympique Lyonnais maintained their title bid with a 3-1 home win against AC Ajaccio. Brazilian playmaker Juninho Pernambucano gave the home side the lead after nine minutes, curling a shot into the net from the right-hand corner of the Ajaccio penalty area. The visitors drew level two minutes past the half-hour as midfield player Grégory Lacombe headed them level.

Welcome return
Juninho restored Lyon’s lead before half-time, however, volleying a Sidney Govou cross into the net after 38 minutes, before Lyon secured all three points five minutes before the final whistle, as striker Sonny Anderson marked his comeback after two months out through injury with his side’s third goal.

Nice and Sochaux held
OGC Nice were held to a 0-0 draw at RC Lens, for whom Antoine Sibierski came closest when he headed against the crossbar, while FC Sochaux-Montbéliard squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to struggling Lille OSC. First-half goals from defenders Nisa Saveljic and Maxence Flachez, both after corners from Benoït Pedretti, seemed to have sealed three points for the home team, but two goals in two second-half minutes just before the hour, from Philippe Brunel and Vladimir Manchev, earned Lille a draw.

Nantes success
FC Nantes Atlantique moved level with Sochaux on 45 points thanks to a 2-0 win at home to Le Havre AC, as Grégory Pujol opened the scoring after 29 minute before striker Marama Vahirua sealed the win in the final minute. Elsewhere, AJ Auxerre ended their three-game losing streak with a 0-0 draw at Stade Rennais FC, although could have taken all three points but Djibril Cissé was denied by Rennes goalkeeper Petr Cech when put clear by strike partner Benjamin Mwaruwari.

Late equaliser
SC Bastia and RC Strasbourg drew 1-1, with Laurent Batlles giving Bastia the lead in the first half only for Valérian Ismaël to equalise for Strasbourg 12 minutes from time. 

Important wins
There were important wins for two struggling sides, as goals from Ludovic Asuar and Alain Liri in the final eleven minutes gave CS Sedan-Ardennes a 2-0 home win against En Avant Guingamp, while Montpellier Hérault SC won by the same score at ES Troyes Aube Champagne, who stayed bottom of the table. Cédric Barbosa and Geoffrey Doumeng scored the goals.