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France: Le Mans zoom into second as PSG take a tumble [Mon Sep 19th, 2005]
Paris (AFP) - First division newcomers Le Mans emerged as the unscripted main challengers to defending champions Lyon after an unpredictable weekend in the French first division.
The surprise packages of the season grabbed second place, three points behind Gerard Houiller's pacesetters, after seeing off Sochaux 2-1 for their third win in a row.
But Paris Saint Germain fluffed the chance to regain second spot when they crashed 3-0 to Saint Etienne.
The former European heavyweights took a first half lead through Senegal striker Frederic Mendy, with Frederic Piquionne and Pascal Feindouno completing the rout.
Their hard work saw them jump up from eighth to third, one point behind Le Mans and ahead of fourth-placed PSG on goal difference.
Earlier Marseille's mini-revival continued with a 2-1 win over Troyes - their first home win in six months - to add to last week's debut success of the season away to Sochaux.
First half goals from Franck Ribery and Sabri Lamouchi earned Marseille a welcome three points, with Sebastien Grax pulling one back for Troyes after the interval.
"This first win at home since March makes me happy. It was earned the hard way, but we deserved it," said relieved Marseille coach Jean Fernandez.
Marseille are lying eighth, two spots above their south coast neighbours Monaco who are enduring torrid times after a 2-0 home loss to Rennes left the 2003/2004 Champions League finalists only three points above the drop zone.
To make matters worse two Monaco players - Sebastien Squallaci and Vassilis Zikos - were sent off.
It was left to captain Gael Givet to reflect on the defeat after manager Didier Deschamps declined to comment.
"Things couldn't have got much worse. We started well enough but then we began to get upset, we lost our composure, and we started to pick up bookings. Didier is very disappointed like us."
In other matches, Auxerre saw off their Corsican visitors Ajaccio 2-0, while Strasbourg and Lens drew 1-1.
Meanwhile Lyon, buzzing after their 3-0 UEFA Champions League win against Real Madrid in midweek, were brought back to earth on their return to the French league when sharing the spoils with Bordeaux.
Bordeaux took a sixth minute lead when their Czech Republic striker Vladimir Smicer's six-metre shot from the left foiled Lyon's international keeper Gregory Coupet.
Houllier made two quick changes after the hour mark and one of the substitutes, Sylvain Wiltord, made an immediate impact, scoring the equaliser two minutes after coming onto the pitch.
The result left Lyon unbeaten from their first seven matches and top of the table on 17 points.
Houllier reflected: "We took a gamble bringing on three attacking players but it worked."
Coupet added: "We haven't started the season that well, but we're picking up points."
At Le Mans, Yohan Hautcoeur put them in front on 28 minutes with Sochaux' Araujo Ilan grabbing a second half equaliser.
Then Tulio De Melo produced an athletic six-metre overhead bicycle shot in the 69th minute to seal the three points.
Lille picked themselves up from their Champions League loss to Benfica with a 4-0 drubbing of Nice to leave them in fourth place, while elsewhere Nantes beat Toulouse 2-0 and Nancy and Metz drew 1-1.
French league table after Sunday's late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Lyon 7 5 2 0 10 4 17
Le Mans 7 4 2 1 10 3 14
Saint-Etienne 7 3 4 0 7 1 13
Paris SG 7 4 1 2 10 7 13
Lens 7 3 3 1 13 5 12
Lille 7 3 3 1 11 5 12
Bordeaux 7 3 3 1 6 3 12
Nantes 7 3 2 2 8 4 11
Ajaccio 7 2 4 1 7 6 10
Auxerre 7 3 1 3 6 12 10
Troyes 7 2 3 2 6 6 9
Rennes 7 3 0 4 8 17 9
Marseille 7 2 2 3 7 10 8
Nice 7 2 2 3 7 10 8
Monaco 7 2 1 4 4 8 7
Sochaux 7 1 2 4 3 6 5
Toulouse 7 1 2 4 2 9 5
Nancy 7 1 1 5 8 7 4
Strasbourg 7 0 4 3 2 5 4
Metz 7 0 4 3 2 9 4
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