Rennes slips in title race with 2-1 loss
Posted: Saturday November 21, 1998 10:53 AM
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Rennes, which stays nine points off the top after the loss, struggles for a victory AP |
PARIS, France (AP) -- Surprise early-season title challenger Rennes lost
ground on the league leaders Friday with a 2-1 defeat at Paris
Saint-Germain.
Eric Rabesandratana headed in a 38th minute corner to give PSG
the lead.
Third-placed Rennes, coached by former PSG centerback Paul Le
Guen, made it 1-1 in the 65th minute with a Shabani Nonda strike,
but Jerome Leroy secured the points for PSG within two minutes.
Rennes stays nine points off the top after the loss.
On Thursday, leader Marseille lost its unbeaten record, losing
2-0 at Lyon. Bordeaux closed the gap at the top to one point, with
a fine 2-0 win at Monaco.
With none of the other top teams in action, attention turned to
the fight to avoid relegation.
In a match between the two bottom teams, Lorient beat Toulouse
1-0.
Patrice Loko, bought from PSG earlier this week, scored in the
25th minute after a Lorient penalty had bounced off the post.
Toulouse's Ahmed Maharzi missed a crucial second half penalty.
Sochaux, which started two places off the bottom, had Bernard
Maraval and Didier Lang sent off in the first half, yet amazingly
salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to Strasbourg.
Strasbourg scored in the 50th through Frederic Arpinon.
But the nine-man home side leveled in the 70th minute with a
Koffi Fiawoo goal.
The results leave Toulouse in last place with 11 points, behind
Lorient on goal difference.
Further up the standings, Nantes and Montpellier drew 1-1.
Montpellier defender Franck Silvestre scored with a 25-yard
(meter) free kick before Eric Decroix equalized for the Canaries.
Lens, preparing for a vital Champions League match at Arsenal on
Wednesday, scored a 1-0 win against a Bastia team reduced to nine
players for the last 20 minutes.
Michael Debeve scored with a 25-meter drive in the final
minute.
In other games: Auxerre 1, Metz 0; Nancy 1, Le Havre 0.
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