French Roundup

Monaco tops table with 2-0 win against Strasbourg

PARIS (Reuters) -- Monaco edged Olympique Lyon off the top of Ligue 1 on Sunday with a confident 2-0 home win over mid-table RC Strasbourg.

With four games to go until the end of the championship, both Monaco and Lyon are on 61 points but Monaco's goal difference is eight better.

Defending champions Lyon were held to a goalless home draw by Lille on Saturday.

Olympique Marseille, 1-0 winners over RC Lens in a late game on Sunday, moved up to third place ahead of Girondins Bordeaux who thrashed AC Ajaccio 6-1 on Saturday.

Marseille won at Lens through a penalty dispatched by skipper Frank Leboeuf, his second of the season, after Russian teenage striker Dmitry Sychev was brought down by Daouda Jabi.

The game was a tense affair, with a brawl erupting just before halftime while Marseille defender Abdoulaye Maite was sent off five minutes from time after a second yellow card.

With the support of a 41,649 Stade Bollaert capacity crowd, Lens dominated the second half but could not find a way through a solid Marseille defense.

Their best chance came when striker Olivier Thomert blasted a shot against the crossbar.

'Perfect week'

Monaco, beaten in their last two home games, started brightly against Strasbourg with Nonda going close after five minutes with a shot that flew wide.

Croatia international Dado Prso opened the scoring after 19 minutes and Shabani Nonda sealed victory 20 minutes from time.

"This game was not an easy one. We badly needed to win and we did it well," said Monaco coach Didier Deschamps.

"We were a bit tired because of our midweek League Cup semi-final but we scored two goals and stayed concentrated throughout," he added.

"With a win at Ajaccio last weekend, our qualification in the League Cup at Marseille and tonight's victory, it was a perfect week."

The visitors packed their defense but Prso made the breakthrough when he latched on to a perfect Jerome Rothen cross to open the scoring. With 20 minutes to go, Congolese striker Nonda weaved through the Strasbourg defense to add a second.

Match reports

PARIS (Reuters) -- Reports of French Ligue 1 matches played on Sunday:

MONACO 2 RC STRASBOURG 0

Monaco took over the league lead from Olympique Lyon with a clinical 2-0 home win over RC Strasbourg.

The principality team opened the scoring after 19 minutes when Croatian striker Dado Prso volleyed home a Jerome Rothen cross and they sealed victory when Shabani Nonda scored after 69 minutes.

- - - -

RC LENS 0 OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE 1

Olympique Marseille moved back to third place and remained on course for a Champions League berth with a 1-0 away win at RC Lens.

The game was marred by a brawl just before halftime and the dismissal of Marseille defender Abdoulaye Meite five minutes from time.

Marseille's goal came from 32nd-minute Frank Leboeuf penalty.

- - - -

Played on Saturday:

AC AJACCIO 1 GIRONDINS BORDEAUX 6

Portuguese striker Pedro Pauleta hit a hat-trick to spearhead the rout of the struggling Corsican club -- lifting his season's tally to 20 goals.

Spanish midfielder Savio, striker Jean-Claude Darcheville and substitute Camel Meriem added a goal each in the last 15 minutes to cap the victory.

Ajaccio, reduced to nine men after defender Laurent Moracchini and striker Gregory Lacombe were sent off before the interval, pulled a goal back through Bernard Diomede.

- - - -

NANTES 1 PARIS ST GERMAIN 1

Defender Nicolas Gillet gave Nantes the lead four minutes after the break from close range following a corner by Nicolas Savinaud.

Alioune Toure equalized for PSG with a powerful shot from outside the box just after the hour.

- - - -

AJ AUXERRE 1 LE HAVRE 0

Striker Olivier Kapo blasted home from close range on 15 minutes to give Auxerre the points.

- - - -

BASTIA 1 MONTPELLIER 2

Struggling Montpellier went in front with a goal by striker Bertrand Robert in the ninth minute.

Former France international Florian Maurice headed home an equalizer in the 70th minute but Geoffrey Doumeng won it for Montpellier seven minutes later.

- - - -

OLYMPIQUE LYON 0 LILLE 0

The league leaders, without Brazilian striker Sonny Anderson, struggled to break down Lille's defense.

The visitors had the best chance to score when striker Moussa N'Diaye hit the woodwork on the hour.

- - - -

STADE RENNES 2 NICE 2

Nice took the lead when former Stade Rennes player Yoann Bigne played a one-two with Kaba Diawara inside the box in the 15th minute before finishing in style.

The hosts levelled thanks to a powerful 25-metre shot by Philippe Delaye eight minutes later.

Captain Dominique Arribage put Rennes in the driving seat by heading home a cross from midfielder Olivier Monterrubio in the 55th minute. But substitute Cedric Mionnet gave Nice a point with 20 minutes to go.

- - - -

SEDAN 4 TROYES 0

Senegalese striker Henri Camara hit a hat-trick after the interval to seal a crucial victory for Sedan.

Camara opened the scoring by taking advantage of a blunder by defender Frederic Danjou in the 54th minute and netted a second eight minutes later.

Captain Ludovic Asuar wrapped it up with a 10-metre shot in the 65th before Camara completed the rout.

- - - -

SOCHAUX 0 EN AVANT GUINGAMP 0

Sochaux, who qualified for the League Cup final by taming second division Metz after extra time on Tuesday, looked tired and failed to impress against a solid En Avant Guingamp.

Striker Pierre-Alain Frau got the ball into the net after 10 minutes but his effort was ruled out because of a foul on goalkeeper Ronan Le Crom.

 

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