The 50-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by Olympique Lyonnais in July 2011. He has also had spells in charge of Monaco and Lille.

A short statement on Nice's official website said: "Nice and Claude Puel have reached an agreement in principle on a contract for three years as head coach."

Puel, who will be officially presented to the media tomorrow, will replace Rene Marsiglia, who left the club earlier this week after Nice decided not to renew his contract.

Nice avoided the drop on the final day of the season with victory over Lyon.

The Brazilian's current deal with Lyon expires next month and he is set to join the Serie A outfit this northern summer on a free transfer.

"All that is missing is the signature but Ederson will be a Lazio player," Ederson's agent Antonio Caliendo said to Italian radio station Mana Nana Sport.

"Lazio president (Claudio) Lotito has been interested in him for five years.

"His future will be at Lazio even though he has received offers from Brazil.

"I will soon meet up again with Lazio and I hope the signatures will then follow."

The 26-year-old joined Lyon from Nice in 2008 and scored two goals in 14 league appearances for the Ligue 1 side this season.

Lazio finished fourth in Serie A and will compete in next season's UEFA Europa League.

The 31-year-old arrived last northern summer from French side Grenoble but played just three Ligue 1 matches this season.

Dijon was relegated after finishing second from bottom of Ligue 1 with 36 points after 38 games.

Matsui's contract would have been automatically renewed if the Burgundy side had remained in the top flight.

The midfielder has returned to Liverpool after a season on loan at the 2011 Ligue 1 champion, where he scored four times in 27 appearances.

Garcia admits he wants Cole back.

"From a sporting angle we would like to keep him," said Garcia, who is resigned to losing his playmaker Eden Hazard in a multi-million dollar deal during the northern summer.

"But he does not belong to us and he has not discussed matters with Liverpool."

"It is a very fluid situation. The only certainty for the moment is that he is returning to Liverpool, the club to which he belongs."

Should Cole return to Lille he would have UEFA Champions League football to look forward to.

Lille finished third in Ligue 1 last season, whereas Liverpool finished eighth and has only a Europa League campaign ahead of it owing to its success in the League Cup.

Cole joined Liverpool on a four year contract in 2010 on a free transfer from Chelsea but failed to impress in his first season and was sent out on loan by then manager Kenny Dalglish at the beginning of last term.

For PSG, the humiliation of failing to win its first league title since 1994 - despite spending more than $130.4 million on players - will be somewhat softened by UEFA Champions League football and the arrival of more big names.

Montpellier's title-winning squad featured nine homegrown players, in contrast to PSG's relentless pursuit of stars at the expense of its youth academy.

The likes of midfielders Younes Behanda and Karim Ait-Fana, defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and winger Remy Cabella have caught the eye of Europe's big clubs, while Olivier Giroud is also in demand after scoring 21 league goals.

"If we can keep this squad together, with two or three new arrivals, that will be great," Montpellier coach Rene Girard said.

President Louis Nicollin, who has owned and funded the club since 1974, is confident Montpellier will be PSG's main rival in seasons to come.

"Don't worry, we'll still be around for the next five years because things will gel together," he said after Montpellier sealed the title with a 2-1 win at Auxerre to finish three points clear of PSG, who won at Lorient by the same score.

"It's the best day of my sporting life, that's for sure," Nicollin said. "I will get my hair cut as promised."

The 68-year-old Nicollin had told fans that if Montpellier won the title he would get his hair cropped and dyed in a Mohawk style - the latest trend in footballer haircuts inspired by Brazilian star Neymar.

Nicollin has been at Montpellier almost as long as PSG has existed - PSG was founded in 1970 - and there is a special bond between him and his players, and between the players and the fans.

"It's a beautiful love story between a president and his club, and between a club and a city," said Ligue 1 president Frederic Thiriez, while Girard alluded to PSG's failure to win a trophy this season by saying: "Money doesn't make for happiness."

PSG's huge outlay included spending a French record $54.2 million on playmaker Javier Pastore.

Other highly rated players were prised from some of Europe's big clubs: winger Jeremy Menez joined from Roma, midfielder Mohamed Sissoko from Juventus, defender Maxwell arrived from Barcelona and midfielder Thiago Motta from Inter Milan.

The contrast with Montpellier could not be greater. The league winner's local players blossomed into a tight-knit unit with an unshakable team spirit. Montpellier spent only a fraction of PSG's colossal outlay, and Giroud cost only $3.22 million when he signed from second-division Tours two years ago.

Hasty decisions weighed heavily on PSG's title challenge, too.

PSG's title bid started to go off the rails after coach Antoine Kombouare was replaced by former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti during the winter break.

Despite guiding PSG to first place, and being three points clear of Montpellier, Kombouare was fired in late December to make way for Ancelotti - primarily because the club's cash-rich Qatari owners, QSI, wanted a bigger name to boost the club's standing worldwide.

It was very harsh on Kombouare, who was popular with PSG fans from his playing days at the club as a central defender in the 1990s.

"I didn't agree and I never will," Kombouare told France Football magazine recently. "I wanted to continue, I never gave up. I wanted to show them that I was a competent coach who could get good results."

Ancelotti reshaped the team as new signings arrived.

But while the attack scored regularly, Ancelotti's constant tinkering with his defence failed during a tense title run-in where the lead changed hands. PSG let in clumsy late away goals to Nancy in a 2-1 defeat, in a 1-1 draw at Auxerre, and a 2-1 defeat at Lille to hand Montpellier the initiative.

Montpellier's consistency was underlined by the fact it scored in 92 per cent of matches and Giroud was the only player in the French league to score in every month of the season.

While PSG played the more spectacular football, especially at home, it also leaked soft goals. Montpellier's iron defence, meanwhile, helped it keep four clean sheets in the last six games when the pressure mounted.

"It's a victory for the whole squad, for the collective," Giroud said. "We held firm."

"It won't be a revolution next year, because we have the backbone," the manager told reporters in Paris.

"Three players, it will be good to improve the team, in all sectors, that's to say a defender, a midfielder and a striker."

"We're not looking for a superstar, but a good player. The important thing is not to have a player with a name, but a player that is good technically and tactically for the team. We are going to search for players with international experience and character," Ancelotti said.

"Everyone knows that PSG is a serious club. I think a lot of players will want to come here next year."

Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder, Kaka, who was linked to the Ligue 1 outfit earlier this year, is being touted as a possible target as well as Samuel Eto'o.

Fresh from a Coppa Italia win, Napoli's Ezequiel Lavezzi could be the first new arrival at the Parc des Princes, with PSG embroiled in a battle with Inter Milan for the striker's signature.

Ancelotti also voiced his content with the depth of the 28-strong first-team squad, saying: "It's a good number to prepare for competitions," before hinting that three of four players could be heading for the exit this northern summer."

Marsiglia announced the news himself after meeting with club chairman Jean-Pierre Rivere, saying he was "hugely disappointed" with the decision.

"I would have liked to have continued with my work here, it's a real body blow for me," he said.

Marsiglia took over as head coach at Nice in November and was charged with saving France's south coast outfit from the drop, which he finally managed to do with the win over Lyon.

A former player with the club before joining the coaching staff, Marsiglia said he did not know what he would do next and would decide after meeting top club officials.

Former Lyon, Lille and Monaco coach Claude Puel has already been mentioned as a possible successor to Marsiglia.

After falling behind to Olivier Kapo's opener away to rock-bottom Auxerre, John Utaka netted a brace to hand the Mediterranean club the crown ahead of big-spending Paris St Germain, whose 2-1 win at Lorient was rendered academic.

And Girard said: "I think our triumph is a real shot in the arm for French football.

"It just goes to show that everyone can beat everyone and that money isn't the be-all and end-all.

"We're a club of mates, a club that brings young players through and gives them a chance.

"At the end of the day, it's worked out well for us. We played some great football, with a well-balanced team and I'm overwhelmed."

Montpellier began the day three points clear of PSG at the summit, but it was made to sweat - first going behind to its relegated opponents and then being forced to wait as the disaffected local supporters launched tennis balls, tomatoes and toilet paper on to the pitch.

Order was quickly restored, but around 20 minutes from full-time the action was halted again for several minutes after fans reportedly released smoke bombs.

When play was finally able to get under way once again, Montpellier took the lead for good in the 76th minute when Utaka turned in the area and fired home to spark scenes of jubilation among the travelling faithful.

"I was worried because you never know how a match will finish after two interruptions," said Girard.

"I could see that [Montpellier president Louis Nicollin] was getting pretty stressed. With five minutes to go, I said, 'relax, think positively', and two minutes later he says: 'Ok, I think we're going to do it!'

"He's going to realise just what an incredible moment this is for Montpellier football. If I could give him one gift in the whole world, winning this would be the most beautiful of them all!

"It was the crowning moment of the season. I'm so proud of my players who have produced a remarkable season.

"We played well, scored a lot of goals, didn't concede many...We deserved to go all the way."

Girard was also quick to pay tribute to the club's fans following its triumph.

"Our supporters have been exceptional," added Girard.

"I hope we're going to have the most incredible party with them back in Montpellier. I didn't know we could create such a following, such enthusiasm.

"I take my hat off to the fans - there are some strong bonds being made between the team and the fans this season."

Hazard, one of Europe's most sought-after rising stars, has been heavily linked with a host of big-name clubs including Barclays Premier League rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.

However, after scoring a hat-trick in what was almost certainly his final game for Lille last night, the 21-year-old Belgium international said he had not made a decision on his future yet.

"I have not made my choice yet. I haven't signed anything," said Hazard, who also suggested Chelsea's triumph in Munich on Saturday had provided him with further food for thought.

When asked about a possible move to the Blues, he was quoted as saying by France Football: "Now, yes. They won the Champions League so they will be back in that competition next season.

"It's important for me to play in that competition. Chelsea are a great team with great players. Of course it's a possibility."

Hazard also said he would like to make a decision about the next step of his career by the start of next month.

Lille managing director Frederic Paquet, meanwhile, believes there are four clubs leading the chase for Hazard but said he did not know where the player would be moving.

"I'm not sure he himself knows exactly where he will go, so for the moment we don't know," Parquet told Sky Sports News.

When asked if Chelsea were in the hunt, Parquet added: "I think so. From what I know I think there are maybe four teams interested in him. At this moment we don't know."

Parquet also said the French club had not received a concrete offer from any of Hazard's suitors, adding: "Not yet, because we have a very strong relationship with the player and his advisors, so we will get together and for the moment we are just waiting for him to make a choice between these four teams."

A brace by John Utaka was sufficient to hand the Mediterranean club the crown ahead of big-spending Paris Saint-Germain, whose 2-1 win at Lorient was rendered academic.

Montpellier began the day three points clear of PSG at the summit, but it was made to sweat before securing the title as trouble in the stands twice forced the suspension of its match at Auxerre.

After Utaka's first goal cancelled out Olivier Kapo's 20th-minute opener for the host, the action was first halted early in the second half after some home fans expressed their annoyance at their recent relegation by littering the pitch with tennis balls, tomatoes and toilet paper.

Order was quickly restored, but around 20 minutes from full-time the action was halted again for several minutes after fans reportedly released smoke bombs.

When play was finally able to get under way once again, Montpellier took the lead for good in the 76th minute when Utaka turned in the area and fired home to spark scenes of jubilation among the travelling faithful.

Second-placed PSG had earlier had its match at Lorient suspended for four minutes during the first half after some of its fans threw smoke bombs, forcing the players from the pitch while the smoke cleared.

At the time of the stoppage PSG was trailing 1-0 to a Kevin Monnet-Paquet strike after 28 minutes, but the capital club made sure of the win with second-half goals by Javier Pastore and Thiago Motta.

Caen was relegated after falling to a 3-1 defeat at Valenciennes.

Caen started the game knowing a victory would almost certainly be enough to extend its stay in the top flight but was rocked when the home side went ahead on 36 minutes through Vincent Aboubakar.

Renaud Cohade came close to extending Valenciennes's lead early in the second half before Gael Danic made it 2-0 from the penalty spot.

Caen gave itself hope when Benjamin Nivet fired home on 77 minutes, but Renaud Cohade was sent clear to make it 3-1 four minutes from time.

Defeat alone was not enough to seal Caen's fate and it fell to Ajaccio to send it down as it pulled off a great escape with a 2-0 victory at Toulouse.

Olivier Pantaloni's men began the day third from bottom and needing three points to give themselves a chance of staying up, and two first-half goals from John Cavalli ensured their top-flight status.

Dijon joined Caen and Auxerre in relegation after a 5-0 hammering at Rennes.

Goals by Victor Montano, Jires Ekoko (2), Jonathan Pitroipa and Youssouf Hadji saw Rennes to a sixth-placed finish - just outside the European berths.

Dijon lost its discipline as its fate became clear, losing both Younousse Sankhare and Chaher Zarour to red cards as it finished the campaign second-bottom after a dismissal nine-match winless run.

Issam Jomaa's second-half strike sealed Brest's Ligue 1 status as Corentin Martins's side ended the campaign with a 1-0 victory away to Evian, while Sochaux survived the drop with a 1-0 win over Olympique Marseille courtesy of Ryad Boudebouz's second-half strike.

Nice stayed up in enthralling fashion after winning 4-3 at Lyon.

Goals by Lisandro Lopez and Jimmy Briand had the host in charge inside the opening half-hour, but the visitor hit back through Luciano Monzon and Kafoumba Coulibaly.

Nice was gifted the lead early in the second half when Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris inexplicably punched into his own net as he tried to clear Didier Digard's free-kick.

A stunning 30-metre effort by Briand brought Lyon level, but with 18 minutes remaining Esmael Goncalves popped up to win it for Nice.

Bordeaux posted a 3-2 win at St Etienne to cling on to fifth place and secure UEFA Europa League football.

Bordeaux looked in big trouble when it fell behind to Josua Guilavogui's 19th-minute opener.

A quickfire Cheick Diabate double quickly put it in front but, when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelled, it meant that Bordeaux was susceptible again, especially with Rennes drubbing Toulouse.

But Yoan Gouffran won it with 22 minutes left to make sure it is his side who will be playing overseas next season.

Eden Hazard signed off his Lille career with a stunning hat-trick as Rudi Garcia's side completed its campaign with a comfortable 4-1 victory over mid-table Nancy.

Hazard took just 10 minutes to open the scoring, only for the visitor to equalise almost immediately through a Reynald Lemaitre header.

Lille regained the lead in the 24th minute through Tulio De Melo.

The home side extended its lead three minutes later, Hazard nipping in behind the Nancy defence and firing his 19th goal of the season, before completing his hat-trick in the 35th minute.

Montpellier is three points ahead of title rival PSG and level on goal difference and a draw against already-relegated Auxerre this weekend will be enough to seal the championship.

Big-spending PSG could still win the title if it beats Lorient away from home and Montpellier loses at the Stade Abbe-Deschamps, but Jallet praised La Paillade for building such a strong side over the past few seasons.

"If they take a point at Auxerre, they will have earned their title," Jallet told L'Equipe.

"We had a lot of arrivals last summer, then in January. Collectively, not everything can work well immediately just by snapping your fingers.

"When we were playing less well, it showed Montpellier that they could rely on the fact they have been together for three seasons."

PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti knows winning at Lorient - which needs a point to secure its future in the top flight - will not be easy.

"We must be focused on our game," the Italian said.

"It's not easy to win at Lorient against a team who needs to make a point to stay in Ligue 1.

"We must work hard this week and then we will see what will happen to Auxerre."

Elsewhere, St Etienne and Bordeaux will battle it out for the last European place when they meet at the Stade Geoffrey-Guichard.

With Lyon having won the Coupe de France, the team finishing in fifth will secure a place in the UEFA Europa League.

Bordeaux's top-scorer Yoan Gouffran admitted he thought the Girondins' chance of European football had gone, but a strong run of five consecutive wins has put them back in contention.

"It was something we couldn't have hoped for and we stopped talking about Europe at one point," Gouffran told www.ligue1.fr.

"We got our hope back after a good run and now we've got a final to play at St Etienne."

Bordeaux coach Francis Gillot agreed with his star striker.

He said: "It's true we've come back into it from nowhere with five wins in a row, grinding out wins for the most part.

"But there you go. We needed to pick up as many points as possible to be where we are.

"We've taken 15 out of 15, that's exceptional but we still need one more win."

At the bottom of the table, Auxerre has already been relegated but the remaining two places will be decided on Monday.

Dijon, Ajaccio, Caen, Brest, Sochaux, Lorient and Nice will all go in search of the points that will secure their place in Ligue 1 next season.

There are only three points separating the bottom seven clubs in one of the most exciting relegation battles ever on the last day of the season.

Brest travels to Evian to secure its top-flight future while Dijon plays at Rennes, Toulouse hosts Ajaccio, Caen makes the trip to Valenciennes and Lyon plays Nice.

Sochaux has a potentially easier task as it plays at home against a Marseille side with just pride to play for, while Lorient needs to stave off title-hunting PSG.

In the other game, third-placed Lille takes on Nancy which has moved clear of the relegation battle.

The pacesetter remains three points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Rennes, although its for and against goal difference is now identical.

Montpellier will win its first Ligue 1 title if it can take a point from the final game of the season at already-relegated Auxerre.

It looked as though Montpellier would be denied by a wonderful display from Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau but he was to be beaten at the death.

Olivier Giroud burst forward from inside his own half and then produced a pinpoint cross for Ait-Fana to bundle home.

Nene was the star of PSG's 3-0 victory over Rennes with an 18-minute hat-trick.

He opened the scoring in the 47th minute, added his second 11 minutes later and then completed his treble from the penalty spot in the 65th minute.

Ajaccio slipped into the relegation zone and Lyon booked a place in next season's Europa League after a dramatic second half at the Stade Francois Coty.

Eduardo cancelled out an opener from Bafetimbi Gomis in the 1-1 draw, while both teams had a player sent off.

Ajaccio will face a tricky assignment at Toulouse on the final day of the Ligue 1 season, with its top-flight status now in severe peril.

Auxerre's chances have run out with its 32-year stay in the division coming to an end after a 3-0 loss at Marseille.

Goals by Rod Fanni, Cesar Azpilicueta and Andre-Pierre Gignac did the damage as Auxerre - French champions as recently as 1996 - became the first side to be relegated from Ligue 1 this season.

Lorient's survival fight will go down to the wire after falling to an injury-time defeat at in-form Bordeaux.

Yoann Gouffran scored the only goal from the penalty spot after Jeremie Janot had clumsily fouled Cheikh Diabate, as Bordeaux continued its strong end to the season with a fifth straight win.

The host secured the victory despite the 86th-minute dismissal of Carlos Henrique for a second yellow.

Defeat leaves Lorient just a point above the drop zone ahead of its final game at home to title-chasing PSG, while Bordeaux finishes against near rival St Etienne, when it will hope to hold on to fifth place.

Benjamin Moukandjo bagged a brace as Nancy claimed a first Ligue 1 win in six matches and ended St Etienne's slim hopes of finishing fourth with a 3-2 triumph.

Cameroon striker Moukandjo put the host two goals to the good inside 21 minutes but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang narrowed the deficit seven minutes before the interval.

Yohan Mollo extended Nancy's lead in the 42nd minute and although Laurent Batlles scored to once again narrow the deficit to just one goal, Les Chardons held on.

Bruno Grougi scored a spectacular winner to lift Brest out of the relegation zone on goal difference with a 1-0 win over Valenciennes.

The midfielder netted in the 40th minute, curling a 20-yard free-kick beyond Nicolas Penneteau.

Brest, which travels to face Evian on the final day, headed into the match without a win in five games but climbed two places from 18th to 16th with its success.

Brest, Caen and Ajaccio all stand on 38 points from 37 games, a point behind Sochaux, Lorient and Nice, and two behind Valenciennes.

Sochaux's hopes of avoiding the drop received another huge boost with a 3-1 victory at Caen.

The visitor led 2-0 at the break through goals from Sloan Privat and Loic Poujol but it needed a 90th-minute strike from Thierry Doubai to seal the points after Caen had pulled a goal back through Benjamin Nivet just before the hour.

Dijon drew 1-1 with Toulouse.

Abdoulaye Meite put the hosts in front with a close-range header in the 27th minute but Ahmed Soukouna levelled a minute before half-time.

Nemanja Pejcinovic scored at both ends as Nice failed to make certain of Ligue 1 safety after a 1-1 home draw with Evian - but only a remarkable series of results could now see it relegated.

Rene Marsiglia's men will head to Lyon just one point clear of the bottom three - but with five more teams below it all needing to avoid defeat to put Nice in danger.

Second-placed Reims defeated Amiens 2-0 and third-placed Troyes won by the same scoreline at Monaco, with fourth-placed Clermont's 3-1 loss at Guingamp guaranteeing neither side could be overhauled.

They will join Ligue 2 champion Bastia in next season's French top flight.

Reims is one of French football's sleeping giants, having won six Ligue 1 titles and been beaten by Real Madrid in the first European Cup final in Paris in 1956.

It also lost to Madrid in the 1959 final of the competition.

Reims has not appeared in Ligue 1 for 33 years, while Troyes last rubbed shoulders with the French elite in the 2006-07 season.

The 22-year-old - who succeeds Ivorian Gervinho for his performances when Lille won the title last season - has been outstanding this season for Montpellier, which is on the verge of landing its first ever title.

Belhanda edged out Marseille's Cameroon defender Nicolas Nkoulou and Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who plays for St-Etienne and was the joint top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The award is known as the Marc-Vivien Foe prize in memory of the Cameroon international who died during a Confederations Cup match in Lyon in June 2003.

Traore, whose contract with Nancy expires at the end of the season, has signed a three-year deal with the Serie A runner-up.

In a statement on its website, Nancy says Traore signed his new deal in mid-April but waited until the French club was mathematically safe from relegation to announce his move.

Traore joined Nancy in 2009 and has scored 12 goals in 71 league games for the Ligue 1 club.

The 27-year-old Mali midfielder's last games for Nancy will be at home to St. Etienne and away to Lille.

Remi Garde's side is now six points clear of both Rennes and St Etienne, and would need goal swings of eight and nine goals respectively over the final two games to fail to hold onto fourth.

Evian, which took the lead through Yannick Sagbo, remains in ninth place having already secured a top-half finish in its first season after promotion as Ligue 2 champion.

Lyon was lively from the first whistle and with eight minutes gone Yoann Gourcuff drew the first save of the night from Stephan Andersen.

But it was the host side which found itself ahead on 14 minutes, Daniel Wass crossing for Sagbo who reacted well to turn in a volley.

The lead lasted just eight minutes before Lyon pulled level, Gourcuff's corner nodded home by Kone.

And there was plenty more goalmouth action before the break, with Andersen making two saves in a minute around the half-hour, first denying Briand's diving header with an excellent reflex save, and then keeping out Bafetimbi Gomis' powerful drive.

Sixty seconds later it was Andersen's opposite number Hugo Lloris supplying the heroics as he put out a strong hand to stop Mohammed Rabiu firmly-struck effort.

Lloris also made a superb stop from Wass' free-kick on 66 minutes as the match remained wide open, and within two minutes the visitors were ahead.

Lloris started the move, booting the ball downfield for Lisandro Lopez to touch on to Gomis, whose cross was punched by Andersen into the path of Briand who had a simple task to fire home.

Rabiu struck the crossbar for the hosts as they pushed for an equaliser late on, but Lyon made sure of the win in stoppage time when Cedric Cambon brought down Lacazette in the area, and the substitute picked himself up to convert the penalty kick.

Third-placed Lille is five points behind league leader Montpellier with two games remaining after an impressive eight wins from its last nine matches.

Les Dogues travels to the Stade de la Mosson knowing the pressure lies firmly on Montpellier's shoulders, with only it and second-placed Paris St Germain able to ruin its title dreams.

"Now that we're assured of at least third place, our appetite is growing," Garcia told www.ligue1.fr.

"We want to do even better and we'll give all we've got to clinch second place, or even jump right into the lead.

"What's for sure is that we have what it takes to win in Montpellier.

"I don't know whether a win there will be enough, but any way you cut it, we're only two points behind Paris and if we win on Sunday, we'll take three points off Montpellier.

"Everything is still possible on the final day. We'll see what happens."

PSG will be looking to pile on the pressure by claiming all of the points from its home clash against Rennes but midfielder Thiago Motta will miss the game due to suspension.

Things are congested at the other end of the table where a number of teams will be bidding to secure as many points as they can in the remaining two games to avoid relegation.

Sochaux boosted itself out of the drop zone last start thanks to a late 1-0 win over Nancy, leaving Auxerre propping up the table.

Dijon and Brest complete the bottom three, although there are only five points separating eight teams in the lower half of the standings.

Auxerre faces a tough trip to Marseille following its 4-2 defeat by Bordeaux, but defender Cedric Hengbart is confident his side can refocus in time for the must-win fixture.

"We must look ahead," Hengbart told www.om.net.

"There are still two days and six points. We have to erase our mistakes and think about scoring goals.

"We'll have to start over."

Fellow struggler Dijon hosts Toulouse while Brest plays Valenciennes.

Brest interim manager Corentin Martins praised goalkeeper Steeve Elana following his side's 1-1 draw at Lyon and is says it was a welcome boost ahead of the final games.

"It was a good point (against Lyon)," Martins told www.rmcsport.fr.

"We have to take them - we must cling on.

"Steeve made some beautiful saves. This is something that is good for our confidence."

Evian, which was promoted to Ligue 1 last year, is safe from the drop and plays Nice on Sunday (Monday AEST).

Elsewhere, St Etienne travels to Nancy in search of European football next season.

St Etienne is currently sixth but only three points behind fourth-placed Lyon, and winger Max Gradel believes his team has what it takes to make it into the Europa League.

"We want to win our last two games against Nancy and Bordeaux to try to hang on to European qualification," he told www.asse.fr.

"There are still two games left and we still have a chance to clinch a Europa League qualification.

"We will not hide from it but it is a challenge. If we win our last two games, we will be Europe next season."

In other games, Sochaux will be looking to record back-to-back wins when it takes on Caen while Bordeaux plays Lorient.

Marseille sits 10th in the table after a goalless draw at Saint-Etienne with Deschamps forced to field more questions about his future.

"I do not have to answer this question," Deschamps told reporters.

"I am employed here. It will be left in the hands of the president (Vincent Labrune) and (owner) Margarita Louis-Dreyfus.

"They will decide my fate, I do not know anymore than that. If she (Margarita) wants to see me, then she can. She is my boss after all."

Deschamps led Marseille to the title in his first year in charge in 2009, while it also lifted the Coupe de la Ligue this term.

The former World Cup winner has two years left on his contract and reiterated his desire to remain.

"It is not yet the time right time for an evaluation of the season, but I will see the president like I have done every year I've been here," he said.

"It's not me who makes the schedule. You (the press) know my situation; I have two years left on my contract, so it is expected that I'll be here next season."

A 2-0 win at fifth-placed Rennes on Monday night edged Montpellier closer to a remarkable success, although Girard remained cautious afterwards with the visit of defending champion Lille next up.

Lille will arrive in Montpellier next Sunday holding on to a slim hope of retaining its title, with a five-point gap to bridge.

Girard is therefore wary and insisted his side's main focus was securing second place, and a UEFA Champions League position.

"We have enjoyed success but we were forced to work hard for the result," he told reporters after Monday night's game, when a Souleymane Camara strike and an own goal from Benoit Costil sealed the points.

"We showed quality on the pitch, and I am starting to wonder whether this team likes to play with pressure. We must now secure second place ahead of Lille."

Despite his caution Girard admitted his side would go all out for the title.

"It took 10 months of competing, why ruin it now with two rounds remaining, wondering what will happen to us?" he said.

"Nothing has been decided, but we will carry on until the end."

Montpellier finishes the season at lowly Auxerre, while closest challenger Paris St Germain faces Rennes (home) and Lorient (away) in the final fortnight.

Senegal international Camara opened the scoring after 26 minutes with a close range finish, while goalkeeper Costil's unfortunate second-half own goal moved the visitor clear of closest challenger Paris Saint-Germain.

It was a huge win for La Paillade, who is now firm favourite to claim its first league title, with just two fixtures remaining.

Lille has ensured a top-three finish and a place in the UEFA Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 victory over mid-table Caen.

Les Dogues made it six wins on the trot with two goals from Tulio De Melo, the first from the penalty spot, plus a second-half strike from Dimitri Payet.

The win leaves Lille 12 points clear of fourth-placed Lyon, who can no longer overtake its rival, with just three games remaining.

The side also kept its outside hopes of a successful title defence alive, with Montpellier and PSG still within reach.

Sebastien Roudet's late strike has lifted Sochaux from the bottom of the table as it secured a crucial 1-0 win over Nancy at the Stade Bonal.

The midfielder raced into the box with five minutes left on the clock and lobbed Nancy goalkeeper Guy N'Dy to claim Sochaux's eighth win of the campaign.

The result moves Sochaux out of the relegation zone, with Auxerre falling to the bottom of the table after Yoan Gouffran set Bordeaux on its way to 4-2 victory.

Gouffran netted a brace inside the opening five minutes, while Ludovic Sane added a third in the ninth minute, with Jaroslav Plasil all but ending the game as a contest two minutes after half-time.

To their credit, Alain Traore and Olivier Kapo pulled goals back for the host but it was a case of too little, too late.

Dijon missed the chance to drag Lorient back into the relegation mire as it was held to a goalless draw at the Stade du Moustoir.

The visitor went into the game one place and one point off the bottom of the table, a point adrift of safety and four behind its 13th-placed host.

That was also how the night ended, despite the movement among the other teams at the foot of the table, as a goalless stalemate ensued.

Nice edged a point closer to safety by holding Europe-chasing Toulouse to a 0-0 draw.

The visitor struck the bar and Toulouse a post in the first half, but neither side could make the breakthrough.

The draw left Nice three points above the bottom three with two games to go, while Toulouse dropped a place to eighth.

St Etienne remains in the hunt for a European place, despite being held to a goalless draw at home to Marseille.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came closest to scoring for the host when his shot came back off the bar.

Carlo Ancelotti's richly-assembled squad hung on for an invaluable 4-3 win to go ahead of Montpellier on goals scored only after it had been forced to battle back from 2-0 down.

Vincent Aboubakar and Remi Gomis stunned the capital club inside the opening 11 minutes but PSG's reply was even more impressive as it roared into a 3-2 lead before half-time.

Nene, Maxwell and Blaise Matuidi grabbed the goals and a defining win looked assured when Jeremy Menez added a fourth on 58 minutes.

However there was further drama as Aboubakar grabbed his second with 10 minutes left but PSG just about managed to cling on for a win that puts the pressure back on Montpellier.

Montpellier can take over at the top outright again on Tuesday (AEST), although it faces a tricky trip to fifth-placed Rennes.

Lyon's hopes of a top-three finish and UEFA Champions League football took a huge hit as drew 1-1 with relegation battlers Brest.

Yoann Gourcuff gave Les Gones a first-half lead, but Brest snatched a point through Gregory Lorenzi's equaliser.

The result leaves Lyon eight points behind third-placed Lille, which will assure itself of a top-three finish if it beats Caen on Tuesday.

Brest's point moved it out of the drop zone for 24 hours at least.

Ajaccio was plunged into relegation danger as it slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Evian and saw Carl Medjani red-carded late on.

The visitor took the lead through Benjamin Andre but Cedric Barbosa immediately equalised and Daniel Wass' second-half free-kick earned the three points for Evian, which is set for a top-half finish in its first season after promotion to the top flight.

Ajaccio, by contrast, is just three points outside the relegation zone.

Carlo Ancelotti's men travel to Valenciennes on Sunday with three points to make up on leader Montpellier, who faces Rennes 24 hours later.

With Lille a further two points behind PSG, and goal difference almost the same between the top three, the Ligue 1 title race is geared up for an exciting conclusion.

A win over mid-table Valenciennes would move the Paris club into pole position, and Sirigu believes he knows the recipe for success.

"Luck is important but sometimes you have to make your own luck," he said

"We have to try and win every match. We also need the confidence to win our remaining matches. It will be difficult but all matches are."

PSG and Lille both won in midweek while Montpellier drew with Evian in a controversial fixture, which saw four players sent off for their part in a brawl before Souleymane Camara missed a penalty for the leader in the 11th minute of time-added-on.

The cracks have since begun to show in the Montpellier squad after Younes Belhanda, who was among the players to be sent off, hit out at team-mate Olivier Giroud for not taking the spot-kick.

Moroccan Belhanda apologised for his outburst, saying on Facebook: "It was frustration that made me speak and I should not have talked to the press."

Montpellier faces a difficult test against a Rennes side lying fifth in the standings and battling for European football.

Defeat to Bordeaux in midweek has left Rennes two points behind fourth-placed Lyon, although coach Frederic Antonetti still harbours hopes of a top-four finish.

"Nothing has been lost in the race for Europe, we only missed an opportunity against Bordeaux," Antonetti said.

Lille will be looking for its fifth successive win when it takes on Caen on Monday evening, while Lyon welcomes Brest to the Stade Gerland the previous day.

St Etienne, who is sixth and three points off the top four, will be looking to maintain its European aspirations at home to Marseille.

The battle at the foot of the table is no less intriguing, with just five points separating basement side Sochaux from Lorient in 13th.

Sochaux plays Nancy knowing if results go its way, they could be out of the bottom threeby the end of the weekend.

The Montbeliard club is just a single point behind Dijon, Brest and Auxerre, but will be without Malian forward Modibo Maiga for the run-in after he was handed a three-match ban for his red card in the defeat to Bordeaux last weekend.

Sochaux has lost three on the trot in the league, while Dijon has suffered five successive defeats as it prepares for the trip to Lorient on Monday.

Brest drew with Toulouse in midweek, but Auxerre is the form team at the bottom with back-to-back wins, including Wednesday's victory over Dijon, lifting it just above the drop zone.

It will be looking to continue that run when it faces Bordeaux on Monday.

Ajaccio and Nice are three points clear of the relegation zone and face Evian and Toulouse respectively.

After Sunday's (Monday AEDT) 4-0 thrashing of Brest, it was the first time Auxerre had registered back-to-back wins this season.

Thursday's (Friday AEDT) victory lifted it out of the drop zone on goal difference with three matches of the season remaining.

"It's our first away victory this season, and it's important," said Auxerre coach Jean-Guy Wallemme, who replaced the sacked Laurent Fournier in March.

"Nothing is over yet. I'm happy for my team, because they never stopped believing that survival was possible."

Dijon and Brest are both level on 34 points with Wallemme's side, but defeat saw Dijon fall to second-bottom.

Roy Contout made the breakthrough in the 30th minute at Stade Gaston Gerard, stooping to head Alain Traore's left-wing cross inside the right-hand post.

Brice Jovial rattled the Auxerre crossbar in the 75th minute before substitute Delvin N'Dinga strolled through the host's defence and beat Dijon goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet to seal victory in the 86th minute.

Auxerre, which competed in last season's Champions League after a third-place finish in 2009-10, hosts Bordeaux on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) before visiting Marseille on May 13 and finishing the season at home to current league leader Montpellier.

Dijon has now lost its last five games in Ligue 1 and visits Lorient on Monday (Tuesday AEDT).

Nene's soft first-half penalty and Javier Pastore's late clincher moved the capital club three points behind Montpellier, who drew, with three games to go.

The host was dominant from start to finish and twice hit the post as its opponent did not get a look in.

Third-placed Lille also kept its slim title hopes alive with a 1-0 win at struggling Nice.

Tulio de Melo's header in the sixth minute left Lille two points behind PSG, and it travels to Montpellier in its penultimate game of the season.

Defeat, though, left Nice three points above the bottom three.

Lyon moved up to fourth place, a Europa League spot, thanks to a 4-1 win over Valenciennes as Rennes lost 2-0 at Bordeaux.

Lisandro Lopez scored twice for Lyon, netting in the 34th and 71st minutes, with Cris (68') and Jimmy Briand (87') also on the scoresheet for the host.

Valenciennes had equalised through Renaud Cohade's first-half goal

Rennes' European hopes suffered a setback as goals from Ludovic Obraniak and Landry N'Guemo condemned it to defeat.

Loic Remy's first-half strike saw Marseille record a first Ligue 1 win in 14 games with a 1-0 success at home to Nancy.

In the fight against the drop, Ajaccio boosted its hopes of survival and left Sochaux deep in trouble with a 2-1 win in Corsica.

Sloan Privat gave the visitor the lead in the 58th minute but it was then reduced to nine men as David Sauget and Yassin Mikari both saw red and gave away penalties.

Johan Cavalli saw his effort saved but Christian Kinkela made no mistake from the second spot-kick and Richard Socrier netted the winner four minutes from time.

The result moved Ajaccio three points above the bottom three, but Sochaux stayed second bottom, a point from safety.

Caen moved four points clear of the relegation zone as a goal by Thomas Heurtaux guided it to a 1-0 win over Lorient.

In the night's other game, Brest moved out of the bottom three by drawing 0-0 with Toulouse.

Belgian winger Hazard, the holder, and Ligue 1 top scorer Giroud are the favourites to win the award, which will be presented at the National Union of Professional Footballers' (UNFP) annual gala on May 14.

Belhanda is the favourite to be crowned Ligue 1's young player of the season, having also been nominated in that category alongside Montpellier team-mate Remy Cabella, Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas N'Koulou of Marseille.

French number one Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Salvatore Sirigu (PSG) and Benoit Costil (Rennes) were short-listed for the best goalkeeper award.

The UNFP previously announced the shortlist for the coach of the season award on Twitter, with Antoine Kombouare a surprise candidate despite having been sacked by PSG at the end of December.

The other nominees were Lille coach Rudi Garcia, Montpellier's Rene Girard and Olivier Pantaloni of promoted Ajaccio.

An injury-time spot-kick was preceded by a mass brawl resulting in two players from each team being sent off, including Montpellier's regular penalty taker Younes Belhanda - who had netted from 12 metres earlier in the match.

Camara stepped up in his absence when the kick was finally taken in the 98th minute, but keeper Stephan Andersen saved his shot to preserve a point for the visitor.

Camara told L'Equipe: "I want to apologise to my teammates. I felt ready to take the penalty but I took it very badly."

Fellow striker Olivier Giroud, who himself missed a penalty during Saturday's 1-0 win over Toulouse, praised Camara for stepping forward.

"Nobody could ask any more of him," he said. "It comes to everyone to miss a penalty, and I know what I am talking about.

"Younes took the first one, Souley put himself forward for the second, he took responsibility."

Giroud's 21st league goal of the season in the 84th minute earned Montpellier a point which he feels could be decisive in keeping it ahead of big-spending Paris Saint-Germain in the title race. PSG is six points behind ahead of Thursday's (AEST) clash with St Etienne.

"It's a good point," he said. "It could be the point which wins us the title.

"I am still just as confident about the title. We are six points ahead, with our destiny in our hands."

The Corsican side - which won the 1981 French Cup and reached the 1978 UEFA Cup final - was recording its second successive promotion under coach Frederic Haentz having come up from the third division last term.

Its promotion comes just four days before the 20th anniversary of the Furiani Stadium tragedy which claimed the lives of 18 spectators and injured 2,500 when a stand collapsed during its French Cup semi-final with Marseille.

PSG's 2-1 loss at defending champion Lille on Sunday, when it was again undone by a late goal, put it five points behind Montpellier with four matches remaining.

Montpellier could provisionally make that gap eight points by beating Evian at home on Tuesday, piling even more pressure on stuttering PSG ahead of its home match against Saint-Etienne on Wednesday.

"The race isn't over, everything is possible," Ancelotti said on RTL radio on Monday night.

"I know what football's like but five points will be hard (to make up)."

Ancelotti's players do not share his optimism.

"If Montpellier let the title slip, then it means they're stupid," goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu said.

Midfielder Mohamed Sissoko added that "we need more than a miracle to finish first. ... It's such a waste. I'm very disappointed."

PSG has only itself to blame, having led 1-0 against Lille until Mamadou Sakho gave away a clumsy penalty in the 71st minute. Ten minutes later, Lille scored again as PSG's shaky defence caved in.

"He knows he made a mistake and that can happen," Ancelotti said about Sakho.

"It's how he reacts that will be important."

Two weeks ago, PSG also led 1-0 at last-place Auxerre only to panic in the last five minutes and concede another soft goal.

That has been a recurring theme since Ancelotti took charge in late December after Antoine Kombouare was sacked at the halfway stage - with the team in first place and three points clear of Montpellier.

Ancelotti says some of his players still lack a winning mentality - although his tactics, particularly switching defenders around in the last 15 minutes of games, have also been called into question.

"The club has changed a lot," Ancelotti told RTL. "The players have to understand that there's more competition for places."

Behind the scenes, rumours concerning the future of sporting director Leonardo have also proved unsettling, with some reports already linking him with a similar role at his former club Internazionale next season.

Monday's training session was scheduled to be open to the public but was held privately. Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Leonardo both attended.

The country's football fans seem to be willing Montpellier to upstage big-spending PSG, which has spent over 100 million euros ($A128 million) on players.

A recent survey by RMC radio and newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche had Montpellier as the people's favourite for the title.

"That's heart-warming," Montpellier coach Rene Girard said.

"It's great for a unique club like Montpellier, the recognition is great."

While Montpellier's strong home record should be too much for Evian, Girard is wary of facing Lille in the penultimate round of games.

"We still have to play Lille. Anything is possible but PSG's defeat made it a good weekend for us," he said.

"The title is still a little way off. We're only thinking ourselves, not the others, because we still have to play these games."

Lille is seven points behind Montpellier and only has an outside shot at overtaking Montpellier, but id two points behind PSG, and failure to qualify automatically for the Champions League would be embarrassing and humiliating for PSG, considering its huge outlay.

Garde's contract with Les Dogues, which clinched the Coupe de France last weekend, expires at the end of this season but any talks over an extension will take place after this week's clash with Valenciennes.

He told L'Equipe: "Before the match, I don't want him to read (my thoughts) in the newspaper. Otherwise, it is no hardship to meet with him.

"I have considered everything, Saturday's (Sunday AEDT) win as well. Everybody is proud of the club, myself more so than anyone.

"Is my stock high now? It's not for me to judge."

Garde also revealed defender Dejan Lovren's participation in Euro 2012 with Croatia has been called into question by the foot injury he suffered in the Stade de France victory over third-tier US Quevilly.

Lovren will be in plaster for a fortnight and is set to miss the remainder of the domestic season.

"It's quite an unusual injury so it is unclear how long it will take him to recover," Garde continued. "But it will be close (for the Euros)."

Les Heraultais is in pole position to land its first league title after Younes Belhanda's early goal gave them a 1-0 win over Toulouse on Friday and closest challengers Paris St Germain suffered a 2-1 defeat against third-placed Lille on Sunday.

That has given Montpellier a five-point cushion atop the standings with just four games remaining and they could ramp up the pressure even further by beating ninth-placed Evian, with PSG not in action until Wednesday night.

Girard does not want his side to rest on its laurels and hopes they can maintain an excellent home record - having lost just once in 17 matches at the Stade de la Mosson - that has been the key to its title charge.

"There is pressure, but that can drive us forward," Girard told L'Equipe.

"These are special moments in life, they do not come for free - this is when you have to look deep within yourself. We must use this pressure as a positive thing."

PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti and midfielder Blaise Matuidi are refusing to believe the title race is over, however, although they both know any more slip-ups will leave its hopes dead in the water.

"The championship race isn't over yet," Ancelotti told the club's official website. "We need to be strong and bounce back immediately.

"We have to keep believing and win our next game. We have to react positively."

Matuidi was in an equally defiant mood, adding: "As long as it's mathematically possible to win the title, we have to believe we can do it. We'll try and do as well as possible even though we know it will be tough."

Les Parisiens entertain a St Etienne side who is just one point behind fourth-placed Rennes, while Ancelotti's men will also be aware Lille are now breathing down its neck.

Seven points behind Montpellier, Lille, who visit Nice on Wednesday, is perhaps too far adrift to make a late bid for the title but it will be desperate to claim a runner-up berth that will grant them automatic qualification for the Champions League.

The battle at the other end of the table is proving to be equally intriguing with four of the bottom five teams playing each other on Wednesday.

Dijon and AC Ajaccio are just one point above the drop zone and they will be hoping to alleviate their worries when they host rock-bottom Auxerre and 19th-placed Sochaux respectively.

Brest, who is also in the bottom three, will be hoping to put their 4-0 defeat to Auxerre at the weekend firmly behind them when they welcome Toulouse, while Caen, hovering two points above the relegation zone, entertain Lorient.

Toulouse are part of a four-team group hoping to claim fourth spot along with Rennes, Lyon and St Etienne.

Rennes will look to extend its winning run in the league to five matches when they visit Bordeaux, while Lyon, who beat third-tier US Quevilly to lift the Coupe de France title at the weekend, host Valenciennes.

Coupe de la Ligue winners Marseille and Nancy are now left playing for pride and they will meet at the Stade Velodrome.

Les Heraultais turned up the heat on rivals Paris St Germain with a 1-0 win at Toulouse on Friday night thanks to Younes Belhanda's early goal.

And Carlo Ancelotti's side was unable to respond despite dominating for long periods against third-placed Lille on Sunday, the dismissal of Mamadou Sakho allowing Eden Hazard to level at 1-1 before Nolan Roux netted Lille's winner.

PSG keeper Salvatore Sirigu said afterwards that Montpellier would be "idiots" to throw away the title in the final four games of the season, but Girard insists the result instead served to bring Lille - now seven points off the summit - into a three-horse race.

"We thought the title would be played out between two teams, now it is between three," he said. "It's up to us to reap the fruits of our lead.

"Today, we are five points ahead but there are still 12 to play for. We need three wins to be certain of being champions. Honestly, I don't listen to this sort of thing.

"Looking at the first 76 minutes of the game, you would have said nothing could go wrong for PSG, but in the end they were beaten. The wind can quickly turn.

"When Paris scored, they had total control of the game. They could have scored a second or a third, but they did not. And then, like all good teams, Lille shook things up completely.

"There was a triple punishment: a penalty, a goal and the sending-off of Sakho. That was the big turning point in the match."

Girard maintains the result will not change his side's approach to their run-in, which continues on Tuesday night at home to Evian.

"This match didn't change what I told them," he said. "After the game against Toulouse, I told them we have not won anything yet.

"We will continue to play, focus on ourselves and go until the end.

"If we do what we have to and keep going well, we have nothing to fear. If not, we could get a nasty surprise."

Carlo Ancelotti's side led through Javier Pastore's goal early in the second half but the match turned on an incident 20 minutes from time which saw Mamadou Sakho sent off before Eden Hazard equalised from the resulting penalty.

Nolan Roux then grabbed a winner for the hosts, leaving PSG five points adrift of Montpellier with four games remaining.

PSG is also only two ahead of Lille, raising the spectre of slipping into third place which would force them to enter next season's Champions League at the third qualifying round.

Sirigu told L'Equipe: "We are very sad.

"The title is forgotten - if Montpellier let it slip away, they are idiots!

"The disappointment is enormous. Nevertheless, we have to finish well for the club's reputation."

The capital club had chances to build on its lead before Hazard's equaliser and Ancelotti gave credit to Lille keeper Mickael Landreau, who made good saves from Kevin Gameiro and Aurelien Chedjou to keep his side in the game.

"I am naturally disappointed," said the Italian. "It affects me, but this is normal.

"We have lost an important match which we controlled after opening the score. But we didn't kill the match off - Gameiro, in particular, had a great chance but Landreau had a great game."

But the former Chelsea boss declined to criticise centre-half Sakho after his foul on Roux sparked the comeback.

"On the pitch, you have the right to make mistakes," he said. "I am not angry with him. He must pick himself up quickly."

Javier Pastore put PSG in front in the 48th minute only for Mamadou Sakho to see red for a foul in the area, allowing the electric Eden Hazard to draw the sides level from the penalty spot with 20 minutes left.

Nolan Roux converted the winning goal soon after.

The result leaves Montpellier five points clear at the summit, while Lille is now just two points adrift of PSG in the race for automatic UEFA Champions League football.

At the other end of the table, bottom club Auxerre gave its survival hopes a huge lift with a superb four-goal demolition of fellow struggler Brest.

All the goals came in the first half, with Edouard Cisse, Olivier Kapo, Alain Traore and Roy Contout all on target to hand Auxerre its first win in four.

The hammering marked a nightmare start for interim Brest coach Corentin Martins, who was promoted from his position as the club's director of sport on Thursday after the sacking of coach Alex Dupont.

Nine-man Sochaux's bid to escape the drop suffered another setback as they were beaten 3-0 by Bordeaux.

Jussie set Bordeaux on its way with the opening goal in the 12th minute and Nicolas Maurice-Belay doubled the lead in the 62nd minute with a penalty in an incident that saw Sochaux midfielder Sebastien Roudet sent off.

Modibo Maiga was next to be dismissed before Bordeaux wrapped up the scoring 21 minutes from time through Henri Saivet.

Rennes collected a fourth win in a row, seeing off fourth-bottom Ajaccio 3-1.

Ajaccio's Samuel Bouhours was dismissed in the 11th minute and Julien Feret put Rennes ahead 16 minutes later.

There was a late flurry of action as Razak Boukari and Ilan traded strikes in the last five minutes before Yacine Brahimi settled it in injury-time.

St Etienne kept alive its hopes of UEFA Europa League qualification with a narrow win over Dijon.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal at the end of the first half as ASSE boosted its chances of a top-four finish.

Nancy and Caen drew 1-1 thanks to goals from M'Baye Niang and Benjamin Moukandjo, with Valenciennes defeating Nice 2-0. Kevin Anin was sent off for Nice in the 13th minute, with Foued Kadir and a Didier Digard own goal sealing it for Valenciennes.

Olivier Giroud also missed a second-half penalty for the visitor, but it did little to affect the final outcome as TFC failed to take advantage.

The win gives Montpellier a five point lead at the summit, although nearest challenger Paris Saint-Germain has a game in hand.

Marseille's Ligue 1 slump continued as Lorient strengthened its survival hopes with victory at the Stade du Moustoir.

Arnold Mvuemba set the host on its way with a penalty shortly before half-time and Kevin Monnet-Pacquet made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute.

Mathieu Valbuena pulled one back for the Coupe de la Ligue winner in the 76th minute but it remains without a victory in the league since January.

He said: "It's extra pressure. We must learn to manage it all for a young team, which hasn't proven anything yet.

"I tell them every day, we have not won anything, they are two points clear and 15 still remain (available), it is more complicated."

Girard also reckons fixtures get tougher at this stage of the season as opponents are fighting their own battles for a strong finish to their respective campaigns.

He said: "It is possible that we are less risky, we have less success, but the context has also changed, our opponents play for Europe or to avoid relegation, and so the look has changed. We must be realistic - the players must give their maximum, and we will not hide."

Friday's other fixture sees mid-table Marseille travelling to Lorient before second-placed Paris St-Germain travels to current champion Lille on Sunday knowing that a defeat for Montpellier would mean it could move above it in the table.

Despite the difficult nature of its match against third-placed Lille, PSG's task could be made a little easier as playmaker Eden Hazard looks set to miss the game for the host.

Hazard picked up an injury in Lille's 2-0 win over Dijon and is now a major doubt for a game Rudi Garcia's side must win to maintain any slim possibility of retaining its league crown.

Sunday also sees a big game at the foot of the table as bottom side Auxerre hosts 18th-placed Brest.

Brest has lost four out of its last five in the league, a run which has seen manager Alex Dupont lose his job with sporting director Corentin Martins now given the task of saving the club from relegation.

Auxerre has won only once in its last 16 league outings but can close the gap on Brest to two points with a win at the Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps.

Sochaux is level on points with Brest and will be looking to pull itself out of the relegation zone with a win at home to Bordeaux while 17th-placed side Ajaccio will be looking over its shoulder as it travels to a tricky fixture at Rennes.

St Etienne has won its last two and hosts struggling Dijon knowing that Europa League qualification is still attainable while Nancy plays Caen and Nice travels to Valenciennes.

The 22-year-old Ghana international went under the knife with a view to being fit for the start of the new season.

A short statement on club website www.om.net read: "The operation on the left shoulder of Andre Ayew, conducted on Tuesday in Lyon by Dr Walsch, went smoothly. The Ghanaian's comeback is expected in about three months."

Ayew has been playing through the pain since picking up the problem at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, but it was decided the operation must go ahead now after he dislocated his shoulder during Sunday's (AEST) 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat at Bordeaux.

Ayew, 22, has dislocated his left shoulder on several occasions this season and, after previously putting off surgery, he has finally agreed to go under the knife in Lyon.

Ayew, who plays alongside his younger brother Jordan at the Stade Velodrome, has scored eight league goals in a disappointing campaign for OM.

The highly-rated attacker is believed to be a target for several leading European clubs, including Arsenal.

Le Tefece was made to pay for missed chances as it went down 2-1 at the Parc des Sports, Aldo Angoula scoring twice for the home side as Wissam Ben Yedder's strike counted for nothing.

Much of the attention focused on Turkey forward Umut Bulut's early miss, but Casanova also picked out midfielders Daniel Braaten and Paulo Machado - internationals for Norway and Portugal respectively - for criticism.

"I will speak to (Bulut) privately," Casanova told La Depeche du Midi.

"He is not the only one. I will also have to take stock with others. (Braaten) and Machado.

"I feel betrayed. When you are an international, you have to show something more. I was expecting a lot more from them.

"I am angry, it's normal. You know how much I hate losing. It is even more irritating when some players lack motivation."

At 2-0 down in the first half, Les Gones looked destined for a third defeat in succession and a surely terminal setback to its hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

But Cris got Lyon back into it seven minutes before half-time and, after Lisandro Lopez levelled in the 77th minute, Gomis struck a winner six minutes from time.

And the France frontman insisted his side never lost hope, particularly having beaten the same opposition 4-2 in the Coupe de la Ligue in January and he himself scoring a 90th-minute equaliser in the process.

"We kept the faith," Gomis, who also scored in extra time in the cup tie, told L'Equipe. "Lorient did not make the most of some of their chances and did not seem calm.

"There were signs that we could win 3-2, especially after the precedent against Lorient in the Coupe de la Ligue.

"We came into the game on the back of two defeats in a row. We were against the wall. It's good for our confidence to stop the bleeding. We can go on a good run now."

Coach Remi Garde added: "We made a good start to the match before giving the ball away once, then twice, then three times. Each time, it led to a chance for Lorient and we gave them two goals.

"We have already used the word 'miracle' recently, we must find another! But to win 3-2 having been 2-0 down, it's quite a feat."

The win saw Lyon return to fourth place in Ligue 1 but they remain six points adrift of Lille, who occupy the final Champions League spot.

Opposite number Christian Gourcuff was frustrated after his side crumbled in the face of Lyon's fightback.

"We played better than Lyon but other factors were important, in terms of strength and the ability to play under pressure," he said.

"In that regard, we confirmed what we have already seen this season. It's quite annoying.

"In the second half, we no longer had the same ability to get forward or keep the ball. We were in trouble because Lyon began pressing harder and harder."

Javier Pastore set the capital club on its way in the fourth minute and, although Modibo Maiga levelled eight minutes later, it was one-way traffic thereon in.

Thiago Motta, Jeremy Menez and two from Nene made it five before Sylvain Armand rounded things off in injury-time as PSG moved in on Montpellier whose goal difference is now just one better.

Sochaux is left second from bottom although it is just a point from safety.

Lyon moved back into fourth place in as it scored twice in the final 15 minutes to complete a turnaround from 2-0 down to beat Lorient 3-2.

Lorient silenced the Stade de Gerland with two goals in the space of five minutes midway through the first half as Kevin Monnet-Paquet and Mathias Autret put it in control.

But Cris got Lyon back into it seven minutes before half-time and, after Lisandro Lopez levelled in the 77th minute, Bafetimbi Gomis struck a winner six minutes from time

Ajaccio moved out of the relegation zone with a goalless draw at home to Nancy.

It might have been even better for the host, which was denied by the bar at the end of the first half, but it had to hang on at the end as it moved a point clear of the bottom three.

Camara put the host ahead after just four minutes and, although Montpellier missed numerous chances to ease its nerves with a second, it proved enough for it to pull clear of PSG, which plays its game in hand against Sochaux at the Parc des Prince on Sunday afternoon (Monday morning AEST).

Champion Lille kept itself in the title race with a 2-0 victory at relegation-threatened Dijon in a match which saw three players sent off.

LOSC was a player down from the 36th minute, when Idrissa Gueye was sent off for violent conduct, but the visitor made light of its numerical disadvantage and notched twice before half-time through Rio Mavuba and Eden Hazard to seal the points.

Dijon defender Abdoulaye Meite evened up the numbers when he too was dismissed for violent conduct in the first minute of the second half and Bennard Yao Kumordzi followed suit 13 minutes from time - putting paid to the host's hopes of getting anything from the game.

A penalty from Julien Feret earned Rennes a third successive win - this one 1-0 - to boost its European hopes and leave Brest in relegation trouble.

The result lifted Rennes up to fourth spot and a UEFA Europa League berth, but for Brest it was a fifth loss in six games and left it outside the drop zone only on goal difference.

St Etienne kept its hopes of European qualification very much alive with a thumping 4-1 win at struggling Caen.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice after the break as the visitor stayed a point behind Rennes.

Aurelien Montaroup's own goal put St Etienne in front late in the first half and goals from Aubameyang and Max-Alain Gradel after the break had it three up.

Livio Nabab pulled one back for Caen, but Aubameyang wrapped up an impressive win for the visitor to leave its opponent a point above the drop zone.

Luciano Monzon's first-half penalty proved the difference between the teams as Nice edged towards survival and deepened nine-man Auxerre's relegation fears.

The Argentinian defender converted from the spot in the 36th minute to earn the host three vital points, with Auxerre's cause not helped by the dismissal of Dennis Oliech for dissent three minutes later.

Willy Boly added to its woes when he too was sent off 12 minutes from time as Nice climbed four points clear of the drop zone and left basement boy AJA five points adrift of safety with five games remaining.

Toulouse's Europa League ambitions suffered a blow as two Aldo Angoula goals handed Evian victory at the Parc des Sports.

Angoula put the home side ahead after 10 minutes and added a second, shortly after Wissam Ben Yedder had levelled for Toulouse, which slips to seventh.

Marseille's winless run was extended to 12 games as Bordeaux won 2-1 at the Stade Chaban-Delmas.

Jussie opened the scoring inside the opening minute and the Brazilian doubled his tally shortly before the half-hour mark.

Jordan Ayew pulled one back 10 minutes into the second half but Marseille could not find an equaliser with Bordeaux also missing a second-half penalty from Benoit Tremoulinas.

Despite a disappointing season, Olympique de Marseille, still the only team ever to bring the European Cup back to France, did win the Coupe de la Ligue at the expense of Lyon.

But a dismal ongoing run of no wins in 11 league games means that Marseille is slumped in mid-table, 25 points off the summit and still fighting the drop.

Didier Deschamps' side is only eight points off third-bottom Sochaux ahead of the weekend's visit to Bordeaux.

Remi Garde's Lille is third, five points behind PSG and can take a Champions League qualifying round slot if it keeps Lyon at bay, who trails it by six points and who hosts Lorient.

Lyon, coming off a loss at Toulouse, will not underestimate a Lorient side who shocked Montpellier last weekend though that process was slightly aided by PSG dropping points at bottom Auxerre.

Should Montpellier hang on to the end and if it wins the title, then PSG will only have itself to blame.

PSG conceded a late equaliser against last-place Auxerre last Sunday, missing the chance to move level on points at the top after Montpellier's loss at Lorient.

The usually calm Ancelotti openly criticised his players, questioning whether they are mentally strong enough to lead PSG to its first league title since 1994.

"We have to show more character sometimes. We know that every game's going to be difficult," Ancelotti said.

"We were complacent and you can't win matches if you're complacent."

With six rounds remaining, second-place PSG is only two points behind Montpellier but has a worse goal difference.

The 1-1 draw was the third time in five games that PSG has dropped points after letting in a late goal, making the home game on Sunday against Sochaux an opportunity for the team to improve.

Ancelotti's coaching was widely criticised after the Auxerre match. He reshuffled his back four with 10 minutes left, inviting pressure on a shaky defence. A chaotic last few minutes ensued, leading to Auxerre's goal.

"We gave Montpellier a gift," PSG defender Milan Bisevac said.

Former PSG coach Antoine Kombouare, who was fired to make way for Ancelotti, has good cause to feel annoyed.

At the midseason winter break, PSG was three points clear of Montpellier at the top with his team averaging 2.11 points per game. Now, under Ancelotti, the side is two points adrift and averaging 1.85.

By the time PSG faces Sochaux, Montpellier could have a gap of five points if it beats Valenciennes at home on Saturday.

"We're on the verge of something big," said Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud, the league's top scorer with 20 goals.

"I really think we can go and win the title. I firmly believe that."

Defending champion Lille is still in contention, although it will probably have to win every match to close the seven-point gap on Montpellier. The team still has to play Montpellier and PSG.

"We need both of them to lose," Lille midfielder Joe Cole said.

"If we win our last six matches then it's possible."

Led by dynamic winger Eden Hazard, who has 15 goals and 12 assists, Lille is confident of winning at Dijon on Saturday.

Lille is in a strong position to finish third for a spot in the Champions League qualifying rounds, since it leads both Lyon and Toulouse by six points.

Lyon was beaten by Marseille in last weekend's League Cup final to Marseille and then lost 3-0 to Toulouse on Wednesday. The team hosts Lorient on Sunday.

Lyon has been boosted by the return of playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who has been sidelined with a groin injury for the past two months, and he needs to find his form.

"It's good to be back but obviously I would have liked a win," said Gourcuff, who came on in the second half against Toulouse.

"We still have a lot to play for."

While Gourcuff returns, Toulouse midfielder Etienne Didot is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Toulouse travels to Evian on Saturday.

Marseille ended a run of 12 matches without a victory by winning the League Cup for the third straight year last weekend, salvaging a miserable season by earning a place in the Europa League.

But Marseille drew 1-1 at home with Caen on Wednesday, and coach Didier Deschamps' team still hasn't won a league match since January 29.

To make things worse for Deschamps, top scorer Loic Remy is in doubt for Saturday's match after hurting his ankle against Caen.

Ajaccio hosts Nancy in Sunday's other game.

The result on Sunday meant PSG, currently second in the table, failed to take full advantage of leader Montpellier losing 2-1 at Lorient the same day.

With six games left each, there are two points separating the top two teams and Jallet has warned that the Paris side - which has now won only one of its last five league fixtures and hosts Sochaux, another struggling team, on Sunday - can afford no more slip-ups.

"We were all impatient to get back to work in order to win all three points against Sochaux because we know we messed up against Auxerre," Jallet told www.psg.fr.

"We stupidly dropped two points and now we really need to focus on the upcoming challenges.

"With just seven games to go, it hurt dropping two points like that, especially when we were in the driving seat.

"We were all bitterly disappointed with the result and now we want to show just how much we want this title. That means playing well and getting the results from here on in.

"We have to approach this game with the right attitude. We need to get a bit of that quiet confidence back.

"There are only six matches left. If we don't get the points now, the chance will be gone.

"We need to win six finals if we want to finish champions. Unfortunately, it's not in our hands. It's a shame."

Montpellier, whose defeat to Lorient was only its second in the league since the turn of the year, has the opportunity to extend its advantage at the summit to five points when it entertains Valenciennes on Saturday.

The table-topper has never won the Ligue 1 title and while striker Olivier Giroud feels inexperience could potentially count against his side, he remains confident it has what it takes to finish the job.

"If there is a risk, it is our lack of experience," Giroud told RMC.

"But we must ignore the environment, even if it's something extraordinary for the club.

"I really think we have the opportunity to get the title and I firmly believe."

Elsewhere on Saturday, third-placed Lille is at Dijon while Europa League contenders Toulouse, Rennes and St Etienne travel to Evian, Brest and Caen respectively, Bordeaux welcomes Marseille to the Stade Chaban Delmas and Auxerre makes the trip to Nice.

Sunday's other games sees Lyon - currently fourth - take on Lorient at home and Ajaccio host Nancy.

The France international playmaker has made just seven league appearances in Ligue 1 this season and has not played at all since suffering an adductor injury in Lyon's shock UEFA Champions League last-16 defeat to APOEL in Cyprus on 22 February.

Gourcuff, 25, has struggled to make an impression at the Stade de Gerland ever since signing from Bordeaux in August 2010 for a reported fee of 22 million euros ($27.77 million).

Lyon was beaten in the French League Cup final by Marseille last weekend and needs a win in Toulouse to boost its chances of finishing in the top three in Ligue 1 and qualifying for next season's Champions League.

It currently lies fourth, six points behind Lille in third.

The two players clashed on their way to the dressing rooms at half-time and Ajaccio captain Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi revealed after the match that Cavalli claimed Lille centre-back Chedjou had called him 'a dirty Corsican'.

"I trust Johan more than 100 percent," said Pierazzi.

"They'll have to react. It's not right to hear that on the pitch in this day and age."

However, Lille captain Rio Mavuba sprang to his team-mate's defence.

"I'd be surprised if Aurelien had said that," he said.

"Yes, it's true that things kicked off. Cavalli won't be the last to kick off on the pitch.

"It's one person's word against another."

The LFP released a statement revealing that it had 'opened an inquiry in order to bring this affair to light as quickly as possible'.

Montpellier's 2-1 defeat at Lorient opened the door for the capital club, but it could only manage a draw against the league's bottom side Auxerre in the late kick-off to sit two points off top spot.

Nene put Carlo Ancelotti's side in front midway through the first half, but substitute Anthony Le Tallec levelled late on for Auxerre, which remains adrift at the foot of the table.

Earlier, Montpellier's title hopes suffered a setback as its three-match winning run came to an end at Lorient.

Henri Bedimo's own goal in the 69th minute put the host in front and Joel Campbell's goal eight minutes later doubled the advantage.

Olivier Giroud pulled one back for Montpellier a minute later, but it still slipped to defeat.

Lille breathed fresh life back into its fading title hopes with a 4-1 mauling of relegation-threatened Ajaccio, which moved it seven points off the top.

A 16th-minute own goal from Yoann Poulard set Lille on its way, Joe Cole then added a second before the break and late strikes from Gianni Bruno and Eden Hazard, from the penalty spot, sealed the win.

Ajaccio netted an injury-time goal from Frederic Sammaritano, but it was nothing more than a consolation.

St Etienne's hopes of securing European football next season were boosted by a 2-1 home win over struggling Brest.

Although a UEFA Champions League spot may be beyond Christophe Galtier's men, a fourth-placed finish and UEFA Europa League football is still on the cards.

Max Gradel's penalty and Bakary Sako's winner either side of Issam Jemaa's equaliser proved enough, with Les Verts now three points behind fourth-placed Lyon, which has a game in hand.

Modibo Maiga gave Sochaux's survival hopes a major boost as his second-half goal earned it a 1-0 win over Dijon.

The victory was not enough to take the host out of the bottom three, but only goal difference is now keeping it in the drop zone.

Evian won 3-0 at Valenciennes to move nine points clear of the bottom three.

All three of Evian's goals came in a 15-minute purple patch before half-time with Saber Khelifa, Kevin Berigaud and Yannick Sagbo, with a penalty, the men on the scoresheet.

Elsewhere, Benoit Tremoulinas' last-minute penalty salvaged a point for Bordeaux as it came from behind to draw 2-2 against Nancy.

Yoan Gouffran put the Girondins in front in the 17th minute before Bakaye Traore levelled for Nancy just after the break.

Sebastien Puygrenier then gave the home side the lead as Nancy looked to have secured its fifth win in a row before Tremoulinas fired home from the spot to snatch a late point for his side.

Wallemme replaced Laurent Fournier as coach last month and has only seven games to close the six-point gap separating Auxerre from safety in the French top flight.

The 44-year-old, who is also the coach of the Congolese national team, revealed that he had taken an unusual measure to improve team morale in a press conference prior to Sunday's home game with title challenger Paris Saint-Germain.

"We made a visit on Friday to a place that isn't easy to get into, which enabled us to see that once you leave it, you're free," he said. "It was the Auxerre prison."

Asked to explain the thinking behind the visit, Wallemme replied: "Once you're there, you realise the true measure of a value that is important to man: that he is free. You need to remind yourself every day.

"When we arrived in the yard, there was a bit of jeering. But that's one of the things you have to expect. The people are locked behind bars.

"It started like that, and then there were some cheers: 'Go on, you have to beat PSG on Sunday! Come on AJA!'

"We're a microcosm of the privileged, we're free men. Compared to what happens in football - the media interest, the money around the game - the people there might be disappointed and bitter, and they show it.

"I think it does you good to hear that and it puts certain things into perspective."

Stephane Mbia got OM back on level terms in the 33rd minute after Belhanda had put the visitor ahead with a seventh-minute penalty, but it was only a temporary reprieve for the host.

After the break, Olivier Giroud restored the leader's advantage and Belhanda's second of the match 20 minutes from time sealed the result.

The triumph - in a fixture delayed due to Marseille's presence in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals - gave Rene Girard's side breathing space over second-placed Paris Saint-Germain with seven games remaining.

The side hosts league leaders Montpellier this week, just three days after losing 2-1 at rivals Paris Saint-Germain, leaving Marseille ninth in the table with just a single point from a possible 21 in its last seven games.

"It hurts," said Deschamps after the defeat, Marseille's 10th in 11 matches in all competitions, which has left it 23 points behind Montpellier.

A desperate run of form for 2010 champion Marseille means that it could miss out on a UEFA Champions League qualification.

France's only European champion is 16 points outside the top three.

"We can't turn the clock back," added Deschamps. "We have to swallow this and think of what is ahead of us. There are six weeks left in the competition.

"Nobody wants to freewheel to the finish. We have to do everything we can to finish as best we can."

Former club president Pape Diouf has complained that "Marseille have lost their soul" and Deschamps warned his players that they have to prove they are capable of turning things around.

Marseille was bottom in mid-September after a 2-0 defeat to Lyon yet went on an unbeaten 16-match run to move up to fourth place before hitting a wall.

The situation now calls for desperate measures with Nancy, in 11th, just a point behind, and Lorient eight points adrift in the first relegation spot.

A good finish is also financially imperative for the cash-strapped side.

As well as missing out on next season's lucrative Champions League, a $10.5-million difference separates the team that finishes fifth and ninth.

The side could also lose some of its top players such as Loic Remy and Andre Ayew, who have reportedly been targeted by English Premier League sides Tottenham and Arsenal.

For Deschamps there is only one chance left not to finish the season empty-handed, the weekend's League Cup final against Lyon, when it will bid for its third straight title.

"The players are professionals. We now have a final against Lyon to prepare," added the former World Cup-winner.

PSG's expensively-assembled squad has struggled in recent weeks and the 2-1 win at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night was its first in four league outings.

Jeremy Menez put PSG in front in the sixth minute and Alex grabbed the winner just after the hour mark, only two minutes after Andre Ayew had equalised.

The result moved PSG level on points with Montpellier at the summit although they have played a game more.

"The game was balanced," said Ancelotti.

"There was a lot of commitment, but what was positive was that we played as a team for the full 90 minutes."

The Italian reserved special praise for Menez, who, in the absence of a recognised striker in the starting XI, orchestrated PSG's best attacking moments.

"When there is no centre-forward the movement of the three attacking midfielders is important," he added.

"I asked Menez and Nene to play a bit higher than (Javier) Pastore.

"They did a good job and Menez in particular had a fantastic game."

It was another sobering night for Marseille, though.

Didier Deschamps' side has now gone 11 games without a win, losing 10 of them.

The former France captain felt his players deserved better.

"Paris scored two goals on two shots," he said.

"Apart from that (goalkeeper Steve) Mandanda had nothing to do.

"A draw would not have been undeserved given our performance."

Ninth-placed Marseille return to action on Wednesday against Montpellier before Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final against Lyon.

And Deschamps is adamant there is still plenty to play for in what has been a season of underachievement.

"We have to finish in the best position possible," he said, "due to economic necessity.

"The players are professionals. In a complicated game against PSG they showed that.

"Nobody wants to finish the season coasting."

Jeremy Menez put the capital club in front in the sixth minute and Alex grabbed the winner just after the hour mark, just two minutes after Andre Ayew had equalised for Marseille, which is now down to ninth place on the back of a nine-game winless run.

PSG survived the late sending-off of Mohamed Sissoko to record its first win in four and move level on points with Ligue 1 leader Montpellier, which has a game in hand.

Caen picked up three precious points in its fight against relegation as Nicolas Seube's early effort secured a 1-0 win over Bordeaux.

Seube's diving header after two minutes sealed a first win in seven league matches for Caen, which is now out of the drop zone by one point.

Nice also took an important step towards survival with a home 2-0 win over relegation rival Lorient.

Goals from Anthony Mounier and Renato Civelli shortly after half-time set up a Nice win that moves it two points clear of Lorient, which falls into the drop zone.

Lorient's day was further soured with the dismissal of Alaixys Romao on 78 minutes.

Rene Girard's side, which has now lost just one of its 16 home league games, will now wait to see whether big-spending PSG is able to pull level with it again with victory over Marseille on Sunday evening (Monday morning AEST).

Younes Belhanda scored the first for Montpellier to round off a quick counter-attack early on, but Sochaux levelled thanks to Modibo Maiga's stunning overhead kick in the 28th minute.

However, Souleymane Camara settled it 10 minutes into the second half when he fired in the rebound after Pierrick Cros kept out John Utaka's shot.

Lille's late bid to retain its Ligue 1 title hit the skids as it suffered a defeat away to out-of-form Brest.

Lille was up against it from the early stages, finding itself 2-0 down inside 10 minutes as a spectacular Omar Daf strike and a Bruno Grougi penalty put the Brittany side in control.

Dimitri Payet pulled one back for Lille in the 27th minute but Alexandre Alphonse's goal seven minutes into the second period restored Brest's two-goal cushion which it maintained to finish the day three points clear of the bottom three.

Lille played the final 19 minutes with 10 men after Tulio de Melo was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Defeat for Lille leaves it four behind second-placed PSG.

Lyon moved within three points of Lille as Lisandro Lopez's brace of penalties earned it a 2-1 win over bottom side Auxerre.

The Argentinian was fouled by Auxerre goalkeeper Olivier Sorin in the box and got up to tuck in the first of his spot-kicks in the 28th minute, but Alain Traore levelled three minutes before the break after capitalising on a poor backpass by Samuel Umtiti.

However, Lyon secured all three points when Willy Boly fouled Lopez and again he held his nerve from the spot in the 72nd minute.

Lyon is now three clear in fourth of Toulouse, which lost 2-0 at Valenciennes in an eventful match which featured two penalties and a red card.

Toulouse had to play the entire second half with 10 men after Franck Tabanou was sent off two minutes before the interval.

The home side took advantage of its numerical advantage through Gael Danic (62) and a penalty from Mamadou Samassa two minutes from time, while Toulouse's misery was complete when Moussa Sissoko blazed a last-minute penalty over the bar. Valenciennes is now seven points clear of the bottom three.

Ajaccio recovered from a goal down to claim a potentially vital point at home to St Etienne in its battle against relegation.

The Corsican side is three points above 18th-placed Caen after securing its fourth draw in a row as Carl Medjani's 78th-minute equaliser cancelled out Florent Sinama-Pongolle's opener.

Rennes moved above St Etienne into sixth thanks to a 3-1 win at Evian, having failed to win any of its previous four.

The host led at half-time through Jerome Leroy's exquisite lob, but Youssouf Hadji equalised two minutes after the interval.

Aldo Angoula's own goal then put Rennes ahead with two minutes remaining and Mevlut Erding's injury-time goal put the seal on victory.

Bakaye Traore scored both goals as Nancy improved its chances of avoiding relegation from Ligue 1 with victory at Dijon.

Both teams went into the game with relegation still a possibility but it was Nancy which claimed three points and stretched its unbeaten run to six games to move nine points clear of the drop zone.

"The team will be reinforced. We'll sign on three or four players but I want PSG to have a French soul because the feeling of belonging helps to make the difference," Ancelotti told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Ancelotti, who previously coached Chelsea (2009-2011) and AC Milan (2001-2009), says the key to squad balance is a backbone of home-grown talent.

"At Chelsea, there's Cole, Lampard, Terry; at Milan there's Ambrosini, Nesta, Gattuso, Abate, Antonini; at Real Madrid there's Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso.

"Here (at PSG) there's Sakho, Sissoko, Bodmer, Hoarau and Jallet who must play this role."

Ancelotti also said much-criticised Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore must be given more time to settle in, citing Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane as both having struggled in their first six months with Juventus.

Turning to the French league, Ancelotti said Monday's (AEST) match against Marseille was an "excellent chance to relaunch ourselves".

"It's also an opportunity for them because they're going through a long stretch of negative results.

"But they have experience and I don't think they'll be weakened by their elimination from the Champions League."

Marseille's Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich confirmed that France will drop to sixth place in next season's UEFA coefficients, having been overtaken by Portugal due to Benfica's progress to the quarter-finals and their nation's consistently strong Europa League performances.

The net effect is that Ligue 1's third-placed team will enter the Champions League at the third qualifying round rather than the play-off round.

And LFP president Frederic Thiriez told L'Equipe: "We need to collectively examine our conscience and the priority we give to European competition.

"The whole of French football must look at the format of our competitions; 18 or 20 [teams in Ligue 1], the number of teams promoted or relegated, the distribution of rights and the solidarity with the amateur game and Ligue 2."

Reform of the top flight would have the support of Rennes general manager Pierre Dreossi, who said: "A 20-team championship does not allow enough recovery time."

But Lille coach Rudi Garcia – whose side currently occupy third place, four points behind leading pair Montpellier and Paris St Germain and six clear of their pursuers – believes proposed changes to the weekend fixture schedule will aid teams involved in continental competition.

He told L'Equipe: "What will be better next season is that, with the new splitting of fixtures in the championship, spread from Friday to Sunday, that will help avoid clubs playing three days before and three days after a European game."

The Rennes midfielder has long been linked with the Gunners, who reportedly watched him during last night's Ligue 1 draw with Lyon.

The 21-year-old, who Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is said to have been close to signing last summer, also declared he would happily join Inter Milan or Real Madrid.

But the £22million ($A33.9 million)-rated France star suggested a team managed by one of his compatriots would have an advantage.

He told Canal+: "Inter, Arsenal, Real... I will take the fun everywhere!

"These are great clubs. If the coach calls you and tells you he wants you to make you play, especially a French coach, it changes everything.

"The important thing for me is getting playing time for the France team."

M'Vila has three years remaining on his Rennes contract but manager Frederic Antonetti has already admitted the player was likely to leave this summer.

"Yann M'Vila won't be a Rennes player next season," he told Radio Monte Carlo last month.

M'Vila could join Lukas Podolski at Arsenal, with the striker understood to have agreed the formalities of an £11million ($A16.9 million) move from Cologne.

Former Gunner and ex-Germany team-mate Jens Lehmann warned Podolski the pace of the Barclays Premier League would be a culture shock.

Lehmann told Bild: "He is quick, dangerous in front of the goal, and has a good pass. I'm happy for him if he soon joins Arsenal.

"It won't be easy, though. He will have to get used to the pace, and he will have to realise that participating is not enough.

"You must win. Expectations are very high."

PSG was beaten 2-1 at the Stade Marcel Picot to leave it level on points with fellow Ligue 1 pace-setter Montpellier, which now has a game in hand.

Mohamed Sissoko's equaliser early in the second half, after Bakaye Traore had put the host ahead, counted for nothing as Yohan Mollo grabbed a late winner.

And Ancelotti told psg.fr: "I am disappointed because I don't think we deserved to lose the match. We played well, played good football.

"The performance was good, we played with good team spirit and I think we deserved to win.

"We managed to equalise and we had some decent chances but we have to accept the defeat and look forward because the next match is very important. We have to win against Marseille."

Striker Guillaume Hoarau, who forced a sharp save from home goalkeeper Guy N'dy Assembe in the second half, added: "It's hard because we levelled the score and at that stage, we had the initiative in the match. It's not easy but that's how it is.

"There are eight games to go and we have to give everything. We'll have to work hard.

"We could have taken a psychological advantage over Montpellier but in the end it was a huge disappointment. But Montpellier have not won their game yet so nothing is done yet."

Star midfielder Eden Hazard again showed why he is one of the most sought-after players in Europe as he won a 12th-minute penalty, which he converted, before teeing-up Dimitri Payet for his side's second goal on the half-hour.

Toulouse halved the deficit through Serge Aurier after 59 minutes but its hopes ended with the 82nd-minute dismissal of Pantxi Sirieix for an ugly tackle on Nolan Roux.

Lille's win moved it six points clear of Toulouse while also just about reviving its hopes of defending its Ligue 1 title.

Pierre-Alain Frau's penalty miss cost Caen a victory which would have provided a huge boost to its Ligue 1 survival hopes.

The forward had spoken in the build-up to the game of the importance of three points, which would have lifted it above its opponent and out of the relegation zone.

But the crucial moment came five minutes before half-time when his spot-kick hit the crossbar, the second time the woodwork had denied the host - though Ajaccio also went close when Eduardo's effort was cleared off the line.

Lisandro Lopez struck a late equaliser to earn Lyon a draw from its trip to fellow European hopeful Rennes.

Rennes had looked set to move to within two points of Lyon after taking a fifth-minute lead through Mevlut Erding but it was pegged back by Lopez's leveller 14 minutes from time.

The result sees Lyon climb into fourth place above Toulouse on goal difference, with Rennes remaining in seventh spot.

Starting the day level on points with Montpellier at the top, Carlo Ancelotti's side could have moved three points clear with a win.

Nancy had other ideas, though, taking the lead through Bakaye Traore and then winning it with Yohan Mollo's 89th-minute strike after Mohamed Sissoko had levelled.

Nice climbed out of the relegation zone by coming from behind to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over St Etienne at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Les Verts, looking to re-ignite their hopes of European football next season, took the lead in the 16th minute through Max Gradel and were 2-1 up at the break thanks to Sylvain Marchal's 42nd-minute header after Anthony Mounier had equalised.

But the struggling visitor stunned its host after the interval, Mounier's second of the night levelling things up before Francois Clerc's winner two minutes from time.

Lorient remained in a precarious position towards the bottom of the table after falling to a disappointing 1-0 home defeat against Evian.

With just four points separating itself from the drop zone prior to kick-off, Christian Gourcuff's men knew a three-point haul would provide them with a much-needed boost heading into the final fixtures.

It was not to be, though, with Brice Dja Djedje's 19th-minute goal enough to keep Les Croix de Savoie tucked away safely in mid-table.

Substitute Thomas Guerbert scored with his first touch to snatch a dramatic point for Dijon away to Bordeaux as the sides drew 1-1.

Benoit Tremoulinas opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute, but Guerbert equalised a minute from time to lift the visitor four points above the relegation zone.

Kamel Chafni and Dennis Oliech scored as bottom side Auxerre improved its chances of escaping relegation from Ligue 1 with a vital victory 2-0 over mid-table Valenciennes.

The win would have moved Auxerre off the bottom of the table had Sochaux not won against fellow struggler Brest.

Sochaux's own bid to escape the trop received another big boost as it struck twice in the last 14 minutes to claim a 2-1 comeback win.

Brest had looked set to claim a vital victory after taking an early lead through Bruno Grougi, but Modibo Maiga drew Sochaux level in the 76th minute and substitute Slovan Privat netted what proved to be the winner five minutes later.

PSG fans were not allowed to travel to the Stade Velodrome earlier this season after violent clashes between the two teams' supporters in recent years.

It was stated that the ban would be reciprocated for the return fixture, and that was confirmed in a statement published in the government's Journal Officiel and reported on L'Equipe.fr

The statement read: "On April 8, 2012, from midnight to midnight, moving individually or collectively, by any means, any person claiming to support Olympique de Marseille or behaving as such is prohibited between the municipalities of the department of Bouches-du-Rhone and the city of Paris."

The Ministry cited a 'high risk of violence on the modes of transport or the routes taken by supporters of the club Olympique de Marseille to get to Paris'.

Rival fans clashed at matches between the two sides in 2009 and 2010, although the death of a 38-year-old fan in March 2010 came amid violence between rival groups of PSG fans.

The 23-year-old was carried off on a stretcher after a collision with OL keeper Hugo Lloris and faces a six-month recovery period.

A club statement on Sochaux's official website read: "The initial diagnosis after Edouard Butin's injury against OL has been confirmed today following (MRI) scans and a visit to Professor Jean-Henri Jaeger.

"The FCSM striker will have an operation on Tuesday morning on a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He will be unavailable for six months."

It is the second time Butin has suffered such an injury, the first coming when he was making his way through the club's youth system.

His absence will leave Modibo Maiga to lead the relegation-threatened Montbeliard club's attack for the remainder of the season.

The Senegal international ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee early in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Nice and had to be replaced by Charles Kabore - who was then sent off before half-time.

Diawara told L'Equipe: "I am not often injured but when it is the case, I don't do things by halves.

"Life goes on. Would you like to hear me complain? I do not have to show my sadness."

Of more concern to Diawara was his side's dismal run of form, which has seen them go eight games without a win since its 1-0 first-leg win over Inter Milan in the Champions League last 16.

Saturday's draw followed five successive league defeats while it was also dumped out of the Coupe de France by third-tier side Quevilly and lost the second leg against Inter 2-1, though its first-leg win saw them through on away goals.

They face Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, with the first leg this Wednesday.

Diawara said: "We are in a difficult spell, it is not the time to cry (over my injury).

"Against Quevilly, we brought shame on the OM shirt and the town. (Against) Bayern is the chance to erase that shame."

PSG needed Guillaume Hoarau's late goal to salvage a point at the Parc Des Princes after Cheick Diabate's opener, but is still separated from Ligue 1 leaders Montpellier only by goal difference.

Ancelotti told L'Equipe: "We have to stay calm, we have the same points total as Montpellier, the situation is the same.

"We have to work hard and show more discipline on the pitch. That is the most important thing and we have sometimes fallen short. We have to play the best we can in the nine remaining games."

Reflecting on Sunday's game, the former Chelsea boss added: "The result was fair, because we had plenty of opportunities to score and so did Bordeaux. But we also had some problems, especially in wide areas.

"I am not happy because we need to be winning games.

"It's not an easy period at the moment. Like in our last game, we had a good reaction but not a good action. We took too long to get into the match and take control of the ball.

"We again waited until the second half to put pressure on, and we made too many defensive errors."

Opposite number Francis Gillot was pleased with his side's effort and believes European football remains a realistic ambition if his side can improve its home form.

"Why not, if we show this same team spirit?" said Gillot, whose side lie eighth in the table.

"The result was deserved but we could have won here after scoring first.

"We played well all across the pitch, we were dangerous. We are more at ease away from home, now we have to back that up at home."

PSG needed a last-gasp equaliser to avoid defeat at lowly Caen last weekend before being knocked out of Coupe de France by Lyon in midweek and it looked set for more misery after going behind in the 77th minute to a Cheick Diabate goal.

Carlo Ancelotti's side managed to get back on level terms four minutes later thanks to Guillaume Hoarau but it could not go on to grab a winner as it remain behind leader Montpellier on goal difference, with both teams now on 60 points.

Toulouse climbed back into fourth spot with a 1-0 home win over Auxerre, Franck Tabanou's 38th-minute goal proving the difference.

Dijon boosted its chances of avoiding the drop with a 2-0 home victory over fellow struggler Caen.

Koro Issa Kone set Dijon on its way with a 21st-minute opener and Younousse Sankhare secured the points with a second goal in the 69th minute.

The victory leaves Dijon four points clear of 17th-placed Caen, and five above 18th-placed Nice and the relegation zone.

In the latest instalment of an enthralling title chase, Rene Girard's men took advantage of Paris Saint-Germain not playing until Sunday evening (Monday morning AEDT) to vault above it - albeit by a point - in the standings.

For so long, though, it had looked as though PSG, resting ahead of its clash with Bordeaux, would remain top of the tree without kicking a ball.

But, with seconds left, Giroud struck to give his side victory and condemn 10-man St Etienne, which had Jean-Pascal Mignot sent off, to defeat.

Lille consolidated third place with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Evian to draw within six points of Paris Saint-Germain and automatic qualification to the UEFA Champions League.

Eden Hazard opened the scoring 10 minutes before half-time with a penalty, before Dimitri Payet doubled the lead in the 54th minute.

Benoit Pedretti completed matters midway through the second half in what was a straightforward victory for the visitor.

Lyon leap-frogged Toulouse into fourth place and UEFA Europa League qualification after a narrow 2-1 win over struggling Sochaux.

Dejan Lovren put the host ahead after three minutes with Bafetimbi Gomis doubling the lead midway through the second half.

However, Sochaux ensured a nervous finish when it pulled one back through Modibo Maiga with a little under 20 minutes remaining.

Ilan scored a late equaliser as Ajaccio picked up a valuable point in a 1-1 draw against Lorient, which had led through Gregory Bourillon's fourth-minute goal.

Marseille's baffling domestic form continued as it was held 1-1 by relegation contender Nice.

Despite reaching the last eight of the UEFA Champions League, Didier Deschamps' men have been awful on home soil and were dumped out of the Coupe de France by minnow US Quevilly in midweek.

They have failed to mount a title challenge as a result of their struggles and, although this point ends a run of five straight league losses, it leaves Deschamps in an increasingly perilous position.

They secured the draw with 10 men to their credit, with Andre Ayew's goal cancelled out by Luciano Monzon after substitute Charles Kabore was sent off.

Nancy moved further clear of danger with a 1-0 victory at relegation rival Brest, making it 10 points from the last four games.

In the day's late game, Valenciennes got the better of Rennes 1-0.

Gael Danic scored the only goal from the spot 13 minutes in and Rennes was unable to claw anything back.

The England midfielder, who is on a season-long loan to Lille from Liverpool, believes the style of play in Ligue 1 suits him and he is doing his best to adapt to the local culture off the field too.

He told L'Equipe: "I eat everything here - even frog's legs."

Asked what aspects of French life he would take back with him to England when his loan spell was over, he said: "I will make good coffee and I will adopt a mastiff dog like the one on the (Lille) club badge."

Cole has also noticed differences between the match-going public.

"In England, a stadium will get to its feet for a mad tackle. Two players going full-blooded for a ball and it's party time. In France, the audience gets up if someone does a nutmeg or plays a 40-metre pass," he added.

French midfielder Marveaux and Senegalese striker Camara, both of whom have made more than 100 appearances for the club in all competitions, are now contracted to MHSC until June 2015.

Tunisian midfielder Jamel Saihi also signed a two-year extension with Montpellier over the weekend that runs until the northern summer of 2016.

Montpellier is currently second in Ligue 1, two points behind league leader Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and assistant David Platt were both in the crowd as the defending French champion thumped Valenciennes 4-0 to strengthen its grip on third place in Ligue 1.

A week after Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson watched Hazard struggle to stand out in Lille's 2-1 defeat at Lyon, the Belgian was in outstanding form in front of Mancini.

He scored one goal and laid on two more as Lille secured a vital three points in its chase for UEFA Champions League qualification.

And, far from being afraid that Hazard might freeze with England's biggest clubs watching his every move, Lille coach Rudi Garcia told his star player of Mancini's presence in the hope that it might bring out the best in him.

"I knew Roberto Mancini was there, the coach told me," Hazard told Canal Plus television immediately after the game.

"I didn't really think about it, I just try to play to the best of my ability."

Hazard is Lille's leading scorer with 12 league goals and has also provided nine assists in Ligue 1, a tally bettered only by Marseille's Mathieu Valbuena and Paris Saint-Germain winger Jeremy Menez.

With the Belgian in such form, Lille can expect to end the season in the top three, although catching PSG and Montpellier above it may prove to be too much to ask.

"When I am out on the pitch, the pitch is the only thing that goes through my mind," Hazard said. "I don't think about who might be in the crowd. I have a season to finish here.

"As I have said before, I want to leave here having achieved something. I want to leave Lille having qualified for the Champions League before the club moves into its new stadium next season."

Last year's Ligue 1 player of the year, Hazard admits his coach Garcia has helped him take his game to another level this season.

"It was an area where I needed to progress," he went on.

"The coach told me I needed to score and set up more goals. I did well last season (seven goals and 10 assists) but this year is even better.

"The coach tells me to watch the great players. (Lionel) Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo are always moving, always looking for the ball between the lines. That is how they get themselves into good shooting positions.

"I need to be more consistent in games. There are sometimes spells of five or 10 minutes where I make two or three silly errors. I need to play well over a whole 90 minutes."

With such desire to reach the very top, Hazard seems poised to become a big star outside of France in the very near future.

The 34-year-old former Brazil international suffered the injury late in his side's 1-0 win at St Etienne.

"He is out for four weeks," coach Remi Garde told L'Equipe.

"It is a big blow. He was in good form against St Etienne and brings a lot of experience to the group."

Lyon is currently fifth in the Ligue 1 table, four points behind third-placed Lille. Third will be good enough to secure a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot at the end of the season.

It also faces Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France this week.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was reportedly in the stands at the Stade Lille-Metropole. The Premier League team has been linked with a move for Hazard - and the midfielder sparkled as Lille reclaimed third place in Ligue 1.

Hazard opened the scoring in the 18th minute and after Brou Angoua had scored an own goal, Aurelien Chedjou and Tulio de Melo completed a comfortable home win.

Toulouse climbed to fourth with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Rennes, with an own goal from Romain Danze settling the outcome.

Both sides began the day on 44 points, but Toulouse climbed above its opponent and moved up three places thanks to the unfortunate Danze's mishap a minute before the interval.

The visitor thought it had taken the lead half-an-hour earlier when Adrien Regattin's shot was touched in by team-mate Emmanuel Riviere, but the celebrations were cut short thanks to an assistant referee's flag being raised for offside.

Elsewhere, Sochaux hauled itself off the foot of the standings with a solid 2-0 victory at home to fellow relegation scrapper Nice.

Edouard Butin hit the opener for the home side on the stroke of the interval before Marvin Martin made it two midway through the second half.

The win, Sochaux's second in succession, lifts Eric Hely's men into 19th place, above Auxerre and level on points with Nice, which occupies the final position inside the relegation zone.

Auxerre lies second bottom of the table and could drop to the foot should Sochaux avoid defeat against Nice.

A statement on the club's official website read: "This morning president Gerard Bourgoin had a meeting with the coaching staff and the players and came out three quarters of an hour later.

"In front of a large number of journalists he made a statement to announce that Laurent Fournier is no longer the coach of Auxerre."

Auxerre, which finished third in the table just two seasons ago and was in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League last season, has not won in the league since 11 December.

The Evian defeat followed three straight draws, but the club has decided a change is needed if it is to avoid dropping into the second tier.

It has won just four times all season and is five points from safety.

Carlo Ancelotti's team fell behind to a Pierre-Alain Frau goal, with Javier Pastore drawing it level before Thomas Heurtaux's header restored Caen's advantage.

PSG's 12-match unbeaten run was under major threat, but Jallet chested down a Jeremy Menez cross and found the net with a half-volley.

Montpellier's eight-match unbeaten run came to an end as it was beaten 1-0 at Nancy.

Andre Luiz scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute as Montpellier ended the game with nine men after the dismissals of Vitorino Hilton and Benjamin Stambouli.

St Etienne missed a chance to leapfrog Lille and go third as it lost 1-0 at home to derby rival Lyon at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Bafetimbi Gomis' 12th league goal of the season settled it as the France forward latched on to a long ball forward from Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and fired home from long range with 10 minutes to go.

Marseille's poor run in Ligue 1 continued as Dijon boosted its bid to escape from the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at the Stade Velodrome.

Marseille put Inter Milan out of the UEFA Champions League this week but the league woes continued for Didier Deschamps' team which slipped to a fifth successive domestic defeat.

The home side went ahead early in the game through a Loic Remy penalty but Younousse Sankhare and a late penalty by on-loan Gael Kakuta piled more misery on Marseille which finished the game with 10 men after the dismissal of Nicolas N'Koulou.

Auxerre's winless run extended to 11 matches with a home defeat to Evian to keep it still three points from safety.

Thomas Kahlenberg opened the scoring with a seventh-minute volley and Kevin Berigaud sealed it for the visitor in second-half injury-time by finishing off a counter-attack.

Bordeaux and Ajaccio drew 1-1, with Cheick Diabate putting Les Girondins ahead with 20 minutes to play only for the Corsican side to hit back late on through Yoann Poulard.

Lorient came from behind to register its first Ligue 1 win since November at the expense of Brittany rival Brest.

Eden Ben Basat fired the visitor into a 10th-minute lead, but Lorient levelled through Bruno Ecuele Manga six minutes into the second period before Kevin Monnet-Paquet popped up with the winner four minutes from time.

The win eases Lorient's relegation fears after it came into the game just a point above the drop zone.

OM held a 1-0 advantage heading into the second leg, but that was wiped out by Diego Milito after 75 minutes at the San Siro.

Extra-time then looked on the cards, but a dramatic finish saw Brandao equalise for Marseille two minutes into stoppage time.

There was a further twist when Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda fouled Giampaolo Pazzini, earning a second yellow card and allowing the Italy international to score a late penalty to give Inter a 2-1 victory on the night, but Claudio Ranieri's side went out on the away-goals rule.

It marked a memorable evening for Marseille, who had come into the fixture on the back of four successive Ligue 1 defeats, and Deschamps was determined to enjoy the moment.

"This is fabulous and I am very happy," he said. "There was emotion and a happy ending.

"We had a high quality team facing us. We've had a hard time in recent weeks so I'm immensely proud.

"You have to believe until the end. Until the referee blows the final whistle, anything is possible.

"Brandao told me in the afternoon he would score and he did. This is proof of his confidence. He has scored a few goals in his time but this one was really important."

The victory was bitter-sweet for Mandanda, who will now miss the first leg of the quarter-finals as a result of his red card, but the OM captain is confident reserve goalkeeper Gennaro Bracigliano will prove just as capable.

"This is the first red card I've received that has really hurt me because it was unjustified," said Mandanda.

"I would have liked to play the quarter-finals but Gennaro is a goalkeeper with a lot of experience, he has many Ligue 1 matches under his belt but also European matches with Nancy. I'm not worried, I know he will do the job."

Marseille's attention will now turn to Friday's draw for the last eight.

However, Deschamps admits the club has already achieved its goals in Europe and will not worry about its next opponent.

"Our aim was to reach the last eight and now we'll see on Friday who we get in the draw," he said.

"I'll be careful what I say to avoid offending our Cypriot friends (Apoel Nicosia).

"Real, Barca, Bayern and AC Milan are a class above. Napoli have also made a strong impression. After that, the other teams are not quite as strong."

Didier Deschamps' side has lost its last four Ligue 1 games to slip eight points behind Lille, who is third - the final place which would guarantee a spot in Europe's elite club competition.

While midfielder Valbuena admits it is a stiff challenge, he insists it is not "insurmountable".

"Our recent results have not been good," he told L'Equipe, "but those of our closest challengers have not been much better.

"We are eight points behind Lille but there is still 33 available."

Valbuena accepts, however, Marseille would have to go on a "perfect run" to avoid missing out on one of its primary objectives.

He added: "Marseille must play in the Champions League every year.

"I cannot imagine it without OM."

Marseille is still in this year's Champions League and head for Inter Milan tomorrow (Tuesday) looking to preserve its 1-0 advantage from the first leg at the Stade Velodrome and claim a place in the last eight.

"If we are fortunate to qualify for the quarter-finals it will give us serenity for the rest of the games," he said.

"If we get through it would be huge."

Things looked to be going wrong for Carlo Ancelotti's side when it lost Mohamed Sissoko to a red card shortly before the break and then, having taken the lead just after half-time through Siaka Tiene, conceded an equaliser to Steven Paulle.

But France international Gameiro, brought on 11 minutes from time, controlled Jeremy Menez's pass and fired home at the death to seal the win and increase Dijon's relegation worries.

The result extended PSG's unbeaten run to 12 league games, while Dijon has now won just one in seven.

Montpellier kept itself within a point of PSG as it won 3-0 at home to Caen.

Karim Ait Fana gave Montpellier the lead at the Stade de la Mosson in the 51st minute before his replacement, Souleymane Camara, secured the points with his strike seven minutes from time to take Rene Girard's unbeaten run to eight league games. Olivier Giroud's penalty in the final seconds gave the scoreline an even more emphatic gloss.

Yacine Brahimi's long-range equaliser earned Rennes a well-deserved point against Auxerre which leaves it fifth in the table.

Dennis Oliech's early goal gave relegation-threatened Auxerre the lead, which it held for nearly an hour despite mounting pressure.

But Brahimi levelled matters after his side had hit the woodwork, had a goal disallowed and been kept at bay by goalkeeper Olivier Sorin - though Auxerre, and Oliech, were unfortunate to be denied a late penalty.

Both players were speaking in a segment about their Uruguay team-mate Diego Lugano, who is currently playing for PSG.

"It would be very tempting to come to Paris," said Napoli striker Cavani.

"I'd love for us to play together."

Liverpool forward Suarez said he would 'love to play at the same club as (Lugano)' and admitted he could be tempted by a move to Parc des Princes in the future.

"Yes, I could come to Paris, but like any other big club," he said.

"There are lots of big clubs with that kind of status, who want to build a great team, and Paris are one of those clubs that are recruiting to make themselves stronger."

PSG has embarked on an ambitious recruitment drive since being taken over by Qatar Sports Investments last northern summer, notably signing Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore from Palermo for a French record fee of 43 million euros ($53.45 million).

Lugano has lost his place in the starting line-up since the arrival of Brazilian centre-back Alex from Chelsea in January and he was on the bench as PSG won 2-1 at Dijon to keep hold of top spot in Ligue 1.

The United coach was pictured on television channel Orange Sport taking his seat at Stade Gerland shortly before kick-off in the game between third-placed Lille and sixth-placed Lyon.

Reports suggested that he might be scouting Lille's Belgian winger Eden Hazard.

Last season's Ligue 1 Player of the Year, 21-year-old Hazard sparked a frenzy of interest earlier this year when he revealed that England would be his preferred destination when he leaves Lille in the northern summer.

However, it was not a happy first half for Hazard, whose side went in 2-1 down at the interval.

Television pictures cut to a shot of Ferguson yawning after Lisandro Lopez scored Lyon's second goal and Hazard was asked about the United manager's presence during a half-time interview.

"I didn't know he was here," he said.

"Maybe he's tired."

Lyon bounced back from its UEFA Champions League exit in midweek as Alexandre Lacazette and Lisandro Lopez got the goals to boost its hopes of returning to the competition next season.

Aurelien Chedjou replied for the Ligue 1 champion just before half-time but even after Lyon defender Dejan Lovren saw red on 71 minutes it failed to find an equaliser.

The defeat leaves Lille eight points adrift of leader Paris Saint-Germain which can extend its advantage when it travels to third-from-bottom Dijon on Sunday afternoon (Monday morning AEDT).

St Etienne moved up to fourth with a 2-1 comeback win at Valenciennes in a match that saw both teams reduced to 10 men in the first half.

Valenciennes lost Carlos Sanchez to a fourth-minute red card but numbers were evened up in the 33rd minute when Jean-Pascal Mignot was also dismissed and the home side then took a 69th-minute lead through Vincent Aboubakar.

However, two goals in four minutes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (73) and Bakary Sono (77) gave St Etienne the win which lifts it two points above Toulouse, which could only draw 1-1 at home with Lorient.

Lorient scored both goals as Lucas Mareque put through his own net before Innocent Emeghara earned the visitor a point and end Toulouse's three-match winning streak.

At the other end of the table, Sochaux caretaker boss Eric Hely proved an instant success as his side climbed off the foot of the standings with a 3-2 victory at Evian.

Sochaux sacked Mehmed Bazdarevic in midweek and installed Hely who helped the club end its 14-game winless streak.

While it fell behind to Cedric Mongongu's 24th-minute penalty a Brice Djadjedje own goal and strikes from Vincent Nogueira and Edouard Butin claimed a much-needed win.

Cedric Cambon did pull a goal back 20 minutes from the end but a determined Sochaux held on for the win.

Sochaux is now three points behind 16th-placed Nice and 17th-placed Nancy, who drew 1-1.

Daniel Niculae headed Nancy in front after 12 minutes from Yohan Mollo's free-kick but Franck Dja Djedje equalised before half-time.

Bordeaux beat Brest 2-0 thanks to goals from Yoan Gouffran and Jaroslav Plasil.

Brest had a chance to set up a tense finale for the visitor when it won a 76th-minute penalty, but Bruno Grougi's effort was saved.

Bazin owned PSG via his Colony Capital investment arm before selling 70 percent of his stake to Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) last northern summer.

QSI acquired the remaining 30 percent of Colony's stake earlier this month, but Colony's name is still due to appear alongside that of QSI on the next lease of the Parc des Princes by the stadium's owner, Paris city council.

That lease is due to be agreed before any renovation work begins to improve the venue ahead of EURO 2016, which France will host.

Bazin acknowledged that there are several options open to the club, ranging from renovating the Parc des Princes and maintaining its current capacity, to knocking down the stadium and building an entirely new venue on the site.

QSI could also choose to move the club to the 80,000-seat Stade de France, France's national stadium which is situated in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, although that would be a deeply unpopular decision with fans.

"We have a very clear agreement with (construction company) Vinci and PSG to study all possibilities regarding the Parc des Princes site and to find the most compatible solution for QSI," said Bazin.

"Nothing is taboo. Demolishing the ground is an option. But is it something we would recommend? That is the major issue. The only option that I refuse to entertain is that of moving PSG to the Stade de France.

"I think that the Qataris will stay at the Parc des Princes, (but) when we sold the club, they gave us no assurances about staying at the Parc des Princes."

Sources close to QSI believe that the club's owners would like to buy the Parc des Princes site outright and develop a venue with a minimum capacity of 60,000.

Discussions have been ongoing for several months between all parties but are expected to conclude at the end of this month.

The Parc des Princes has been PSG's home since the early 1970s and has hosted many showpiece games, including France's 2-0 win over Spain in the EURO 1984 final, and several European club competition finals.

The French national rugby team also played matches there before moving to the Stade de France after its opening in 1998.

Marseille dominated for spells and had chances to win the match but could not find a way past Guillermo Ochoa in the Ajaccio goal.

Marseille's slump has seen it drop to eighth in the standings, 16 points off the summit, with that gap likely to grow still further over the weekend.

For Ajaccio, victory was only its second in six matches but was sufficient to vault it out of the relegation zone and into the rarefied air of 13th place.

OM created the first chance on three minutes when Brandao flashed a volley just wide, while the Brazilian also went close on 15 minutes when he forced Ochoa into his first stop of the night.

Ajaccio threatened on 21 minutes when Eduardo's header from Damien Tiberi's cross was brilliantly saved by Steve Mandanda, while five minutes later Marseille was on the march again with Jordan Ayew nodding just wide of Ochoa's post.

Five minutes before the break Ayew got in behind the defence following a fine pass by Benoit Cheyrou but his left-footed shot whistled the wrong side of the far post.

Marseille failed to show the same attacking intent after the break but five minutes from the end almost came close to stealing the points when Brandao crossed for Ayew to take aim from point-blank range but Ochoa somehow pulled off a superb reflex save.

A minute later Andre shot over when clean through for the hosts, but he made amends in telling fashion in the 88th minute, the midfielder timing his run perfectly to connect with a Johan Cavalli cross and steer the ball inside the near post.

Didier Deschamps' side has now taken just two points from its last five matches, with three consecutive defeats on its record after Jerome Leroy scored two fine goals in the first half to seal the result.

OM remains stuck on 39 points, eight points and five places off third, while Evian is into the top half.

Evian was first to get a chance on goal, Brice Dja Djedje dribbling past Jeremy Morel before shooting just over the crossbar with four minutes on the clock.

Marseille took its time responding but after 13 minutes Andre Ayew did well to find Morel arriving in the area before sending his near-post shot into the side netting.

The opener came on the quarter hour, with Leroy deftly lifting Yannick Sagbo's cross over Souleymane Diawara before sending a superb volley into the top corner.

Marseille had no answer and found itself two behind just seven minutes later.

The combination was the same as before, Sagbo finding Leroy and the veteran midfielder picked his spot from 20 yards.

Marseille managed just one more chance before the break, Morgan Amalfitano failing to beat Stephan Andersen.

The visitor looked shellshocked and allowed Leroy and Sagbo to break through again six minutes after the interval, though this time the latter could not convert.

On the hour Ayew worked Andersen again and nine minutes later he was on hand to repel Amalfitano.

Evian appeared content with its lead, with just one more shot on goal before the close courtesy of Dja Djedje.

Marseille, meanwhile, did nothing like enough to get back in to the match, with Jordan Ayew failing to beat Andersen nine minutes from time with its last serious attempt.

The source said the sale 'was envisaged from the start' and comes after Qatar Sports Investments had already bought 70 percent of Colony's controlling stake in PSG a little less than a year ago.

Under the terms of the deal, Colony held an option to sell its remaining stake that it could exercise at any moment, the source added.

The financial news site Wansquare earlier said the transfer price of the balance of Colony's shares puts the club's overall value at 100 million euros ($124.32 million) or 30 percent more than the price QSI paid last year to take control.

PSG finished fourth in France last season, just missing out on the UEFA Champions League but securing a place in the UEFA Europa League.

It was also beaten by double-winner Lille in the French Cup final.

The cash-rich Qataris, headed by Nasser Al-Khelaifi who is also president of Doha-based Al Jazeera television, have set out plans for the French giant to challenge for the title in France as well as in Europe.

Al-Khelaifi was quoted as saying by Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper on Tuesday that he expected to invest 100 million euros on the transfer market in the years to come to build a strong team.

The figure was 'normal for a top-ranking club' he said, adding: "We prefer to invest a lot and immediately. We will spend this amount for the next five or six years then the investments will slow'.

Among the big-money signings since QSI took over has been Argentina's Javier Pastore, who was bought last year from Palermo for 42 million euros ($52.21 million).

The club confirmed the departure of Bazdarevic, who made more than 350 appearances for the club as a player, following a 14-game winless run in all competitions which has left it bottom of Ligue 1.

Eric Hely has been installed as caretaker boss.

"FC Sochaux-Montbeliard, given the need to redress its position in Ligue 1, has decided to make a change at the head of its first team. As a result Mecha Bazdarevic is no longer the head coach of FCSM," a statement on the club's website read.

"Starting this Tuesday, March 6, Eric Hely has been entrusted in interim charge."

Former reserve-team coach Hely takes over with Sochaux five points adrift of safety and without a win since their upset 2-1 success over Lyon in early November.

Bazdarevic, whose last game in charge was the weekend's home 1-1 draw with Valenciennes, joined Sochaux in June last year to replace Francis Gillot, who steered the club into fifth place before joining Bordeaux.

The big-spending Parisians beat the Corsican outfit 4-1 at the Parc des Princes on Sunday night to move a point clear of Montpellier at the summit.

Javier Pastore, Jeremy Menez, Guillaume Hoarau and Nene were all on the scoresheet for Ancelotti's side with Yohann Poulard grabbing the sole consolation.

"This was a significant success which allowed us to regain the lead in Ligue 1," said Ancelotti.

"We played some good football, it was a beautiful evening.

"In the first half the players were too individualistic but we finished the game well, scoring twice at the end.

"The results elsewhere this weekend were favourable to us so we had a little pressure going into the game but we are happy because we managed to get that top spot."

PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi knows the title race will go to down to the wire.

He told the club's official website, www.psg.fr: "Tonight we won the game and we are happy as we have resumed our place at the top.

"This is a great step for us as it widens the gap to teams like Lille, Marseille and Lyon which is a good sign.

"But Montpellier will not let up until the end of the season. We will do everything to be champions."

After its title rivals all faltered the previous day, Carlo Ancelotti's side cashed in fully as quickfire goals from Javier Pastore and Jeremy Menez on the half-hour sent it on its way.

Yoann Poulard pulled a goal back on 42 minutes but late goals from Guillaume Hoarau and Nene sealed a win to move it a point clear at the top.

On a day Ancelotti's successor at Chelsea, Andre Villas-Boas, was sacked after just eight months in charge the Italian is in pole position to win another league title in his long career.

Rennes moved fourth in the Ligue 1 table with victory at Lorient.

Jonathan Pitroipa and Youssouf Hadji scored in each half for the visitor to grab a win to get its European bid back on track.

Brest claimed an incredible 15th draw from 26 Ligue 1 matches, a 0-0 stalemate at Caen.

The visitor has still not recorded a win away from home this season, but this was its seventh draw on the road as it remained two points above the Normandy club. Brest's day was marred by a red card late on for Jonathan Zebina.

Pacesetter Montpellier needed Jonathan Tinhan's late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw at Dijon, which led through Gael Kakuta. The result means second-placed Paris Saint-Germain could go top with victory over Ajaccio on Sunday afternoon (Monday morning AEDT).

Third-placed Lille threw away a two-goal lead at home to struggling Auxerre. Eden Hazard's double had the defending champion on top despite the dismissal of Mauro Cetto but Anthony Le Tallec's red card evened up the numbers before late goals from Ben Sahar and Cedric Hengbart snatched an unlikely point.

Marseille lost at home to Toulouse, Aymen Abdennour scoring the only goal, while Sebastien Puygrenier and Djamel Bakar inflicted an eighth away defeat of the season on Lyon and gave relegation-threatened Nancy a 2-0 victory

Evian - which started the day 12th - was the highest-placed team to win, as goals from Cedric Mongongu and Yannick Sagbo sealed a 2-0 win over UEFA Champions League-chasing St Etienne at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Nice picked up a first away win of the campaign at the expense of European hopeful Bordeaux - Luciano Monzon (penalty) and Abraham Guie scoring in the first half, with Marc Planus replying for Les Girondins midway through the second.

Sochaux is in danger of being cut adrift. Gregory Pujol put visiting Valenciennes ahead midway through the second half but Nicolas Isimat-Mairin's own goal eight minutes later saved the host from another defeat - although the out-of-form Les Lionceaux is now five points from safety.

Speculation has been rife over the future of Villas-Boas during what is currently the Blues' worst season since billionaire owner Roman Abramovich took over in 2003.

Ancelotti knows all too well about the pressure of the Stamford Bridge dugout after being sacked by the London club last May less than two years into his tenure.

Villas-Boas has insisted he retains the backing of Abramovich, and Ancelotti reckons patience is required as the Portuguese attempts to follow club policy by introducing young players to the first team.

He told CNN: "I think that the problem at Chelsea was that they tried to change something, to have a younger team, to give more opportunity to the younger players, to play, to try to give less matches to the most important players - Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, John Terry.

"But I think that this change needed time because it is very difficult to substitute players like Lampard, like Ashley Cole, like John Terry, because they are I think again the players in Chelsea.

"Villas-Boas is a good coach, because he did a very good job at Porto. It's the philosophy of the club. They tried to change something. This change needed time."

Ancelotti's most pressing concern now, though, is PSG.

The Ligue 1 club was linked with signing David Beckham from the Los Angeles Galaxy and were also in the running for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, but neither move came off.

"The club tried to reach an agreement with Beckham, but I was not here," said Ancelotti, who took up the PSG reins two months ago.

"I was not involved in this thing, and I think they were very close; Beckham was told to come here, but at the end decided to stay in Los Angeles to play with Galaxy.

"Tevez was a different thing, because Tevez's first choice was Milan, but he had a problem with Milan. The second choice was PSG, but we didn't find an agreement economical with him and we were not able to buy him for this reason."

The 22-year-old Ghana international aggravated the long-standing problem on African Cup of Nations duty but wants to battle on for the next few months and re-evaluate in the northern summer.

Ayew, whose late header earned OM a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the first leg of its UEFA Champions League last-16 tie last week, told www.om.net: "I dislocated the shoulder several times. Today, it does not take much.

"If I have an operation now, my season is over. It would not be beneficial either for me or for the club.

"I must grit my teeth, as I have been doing for some time. If it does not hold up any longer, I will have to have the operation, but if I can hold on until the end of the season I will make a decision then."

The visitor led 1-0 at the break after Aurelien Chedjou converted Eden Hazard's free-kick.

The goal came shortly after Rennes, which had been dominant in the early stages, had been reduced to 10 men with Onyekachi Apam sent off after collecting two yellow cards in quick succession.

But the 10 men conjured up an equaliser in the closing seconds, Mevlut Erding firing a volley past Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau.

Third-placed Lille is now seven points adrift of leader Montpellier.

Brest withstood a second-half battering to sneak a 1-0 win over Marseille.

The home side came into the game without a win in four games, but boosted by the knowledge Marseille had not beaten it on its own ground in its previous eight top-flight trips to Brest.

That run was extended as Marseille, which beat Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, was brought back down to earth through Paul Baysse's header.

Sochaux slumped to yet another defeat as its Ligue 1 survival hopes suffered a further blow at Toulouse.

The basement boy went behind to Aymen Abdennour's goal in the ninth minute and its fate was sealed when Emmanuel Riviere added a second 10 minutes into the next half.

Montpellier replaced it on top of the pile thanks to its 1-0 win over Bordeaux, going one point clear at the summit.

But PSG could take plenty of heart from its display as substitute Kevin Gameiro's late leveller earned it a point.

Guillaume Hoarau put the capital club in front in the 21st minute, but three goals in six minutes from Bafetimbi Gomis, Lisandro Lopez and Michel Bastos stunningly turned the game in Lyon's favour by the 40-minute mark.

Nene converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to bring PSG to within one, but Jimmy Briand put the host further clear early in the second half.

Carlo Ancelotti's men would not lie down, though, and Ceara pulled another one back in the 73rd minute, just two minutes after coming on, before fellow replacement Gameiro completed the comeback at the death.

Earlier, John Utaka had headed an 80th-minute winner from Marco Estrada's corner for Montpellier to see off the challenge of Bordeaux.

It was enough to send Montpellier top after it had missed the chance to take over first place when it conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at PSG last time out.

At the other end of the table, Ajaccio gave its survival hopes a boost as two goals in two second-half minutes earned a 2-1 win over Dijon.

The Corsican side had not won any of its last three league games after a revival either side of the winter break gave it hope of avoiding an instant return to the second tier, but goals from Eduardo (53) and Johan Cavalli (55) put it in command before Dijon pulled one back through Bernard Kumordzi.

Nice ended a six-match winless run as Anthony Mounier's header early in the second half gave it a 1-0 win against 10-man Caen at the Stade Municipal du Ray.

The three points took Nice out of the bottom three on goal difference.

Nancy's tumble towards relegation trouble continued with a 2-0 defeat by Evian.

Kevin Berigaud struck twice in three first-half minutes in Annecy to condemn the visitor to a defeat which leaves it further entrenched in the bottom three.

Auxerre dropped to second from bottom after an inspired performance by St Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier ensured its game finished goalless.

Elsewhere, goals in the last 13 minutes by Mamadou Samassa and Renaud Cohade guided Valenciennes to a 2-0 win at home to Lorient.

Aulas said in a telephone interview the Russian Premier League side's president had flown in a private jet to the French city and offered five million euros ($A6.25 million) for Kallstrom.

But with Lyon still involved in four competitions, having eliminated the Russian side in the Champions League play-offs, Aulas said the Swede was not for sale - at least not for now.

"We're not interested in this proposed move as long as we're still involved in four competitions," said Aulas. "We're not selling. We've promised to reopen talks in June."

Lyon is 12 points behind Paris Saint Germain in the French league title race and will play the capital side in the quarter-finals of the French Cup. It also faces Marseille in the League Cup final.

Lyon is also fighting to join the last 16 of the Champions League.

Aulas said he flat refused Rubin's offer, despite being told Kallstrom, one of the club's best-paid players, "could earn double or triple his net salary" in Russia.

"To start off with, Rubin Kazan's offer was five million euros (A$6.2 million). We told them this is not the market price (for Kallstrom)," said Aulas.

Lyon paid Rennes 8.5 million euros (A$10.6 million) for Kallstrom, 29, in June 2006. Earlier this season the Swede signed a contract extension that takes him up to the end of the 2014 season.

Having dropped off the pace of big-spending leader Paris Saint-Germain, Lille's chances of retaining the crown seem remote, but it at least used its game in hand to full effect, moving back to within six points of the summit.

Nolan Roux's late header proved enough for Lille, but it spent much of the match on the back foot before improving after the break.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick as two late goals guided St Etienne to a third successive home win, 4-2, and fourth place in Ligue 1, three points behind Lille.

Lorient took the lead through a Arnold Mvuemba penalty before two Aubameyang goals saw the home side take the lead.

Mathias Autret levelled for the visitor and a draw appeared likely before Bakary Sako scored two minutes from time with Aubameyang wrapping up victory, and his hat-trick, with a last-minute strike.

Livio Nabab scored the winner as Caen came from behind to bolster its survival prospects and leave Auxerre in the relegation zone mire with a 2-1 win.

Roy Contout put Auxerre ahead after an hour, but Caen drew level through Kandia Traore after 71 minutes and Nabab completed the fightback five minutes later.

Sable was taken straight to hospital after receiving a heavy blow with club doctors fearing a fracture of the tibia.

However, the club said the injury is not as serious as first thought and is just bruising.

"Although his team-mates feared a fracture, the first examinations have shown a large contusion to the tibia," a statement on the club's website read.

According to Antoine Boutonnet, head of the National Division for the Fight against Hooliganism (DNLH), 'a worrying phenomenon is the return of racism in the stands'.

He cited a fan arrested for making a Nazi salute during a game at Brest on 28 January, as well as 'six pseudo-Lyon supporters' who were arrested after 'spray painting the cars of Saint-Etienne supporters and a building with signs resembling swastikas'.

"Although the signs are weak for the time being, we're taking them into account immediately and we are extremely vigilant," added Boutonnet.

"There is zero tolerance and we won't hesitate to intervene."

Boutonnet also revealed that, although instances of hooliganism in and around stadiums had fallen, the use of flares and other pyrotechnic devices had risen sharply.

The league leader was ahead in the 41st minute through Alex's powerful drive, but Younes Belhanda headed Montpellier level on the stroke of half-time and John Utaka had the visitor in front with a diving header nine minutes from time.

However, substitute Hoarau stepped up to score a tap-in and make it 2-2 with time running out.

Yoan Gouffran's 42nd-minute goal settled Bordeaux's Ligue 1 contest with Lyon.

The 25-year-old's close-range header extended the home side's unbeaten run to five games, while Lyon - which was clearly second best - has won just one of its last five matches.

St Etienne thrashed Rennes 4-0 to move level on points with its opponent in the push for European football.

ASSE leapfrogged Rennes into sixth place, and level with fourth-placed Marseille and Lyon, fifth, in the congested table after running riot in the second half.

Jean-Pascal Mignot put it ahead after 25 minutes and after Ludovic Battles doubled the lead eight minutes into the second period, further strikes from Bakary Sako and Max Gradel wrapped up a comfortable win.

The coach of the French champion was rankled by his side conceding five goals at home to Bordeaux last week. The fact his team scored four in reply was little consolation.

So while a victory against Lorient, courtesy of Mathieu Debuchy's 75th-minute strike, was important, the clean sheet which accompanied it capped the evening's work.

The win was also much-needed for its title defence as it got back to eight points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain.

Marseille lost ground on Lille after it was held to a 1-1 draw at home to Valenciennes.

Alou Diarra fired OM ahead on 41 minutes but Carlos Gilberto Gil equalised on 51 minutes.

That result made Toulouse's 3-0 win at Nancy even more important as it breathed fresh life into its bid for European football next season.

Goals by Francois Sirieix and Adrien Regattin had the visitor in control at the break while Emmanuel Riviere made the scoreline that bit more emphatic inside the final 20 minutes.

The win means Toulouse is now into seventh, two points behind OM and a UEFA Europa League place.

Dijon eased its drop fears with a comfortable 3-0 home win over relegation rival Nice.

On-loan midfielder Gael Kakuta opened the scoring just before half-time before second-half goals from Brice Jovial and Koro Kone sealed a good night for the host.

Sidney Govou popped up with an equaliser deep into stoppage-time as Evian drew 2-2 at Caen.

The former France international's first goal for the club since he joined last northern summer denied the host all three points after it had led through Livio Nabab's 57th-minute effort.

Caen had earlier opened the scoring through a Pierre-Alain Frau penalty on the stroke of half-time while Cedric Barbosa struck Evian's first of the night after 50 minutes.

Eduardo had a penalty saved late on as Ajaccio missed the chance to pull away from the relegation zone after a goalless home draw with Brest.

It meant Ajaccio remained just above the drop zone, with a two-point buffer, while a draw was good enough to lift Brest up to 11th.

Bottom club Sochaux and Auxerre remained in the bottom three after a goalless draw.

The French league leader, boosted by fresh capital from new Qatari owners, has been in contact with Suarez's representatives with a view to bringing the Uruguay forward to the Parc des Princes at the end of the season.

Suarez, recently back after an eight-match suspension for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, would not be against a move if PSG won a Champions League berth next season, the sports daily said, without quoting sources.

Liverpool is currently seventh in the Premier League and on current form look set to miss out on a European place next year.

Any move would see Suarez link up with his Uruguay teammate and close friend Diego Lugano, who also captains the South American country.

Carlo Ancelotti's PSG has previously tried but failed to bring in big name signings after chasing LA Galaxy's David Beckham, AC Milan's Alexandre Pato and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City.

Suarez is still feeling the heat despite his suspension after he refused to shake Evra's hand when Liverpool met Manchester United last weekend, prompting fresh outrage from fans and players.

Obraniak popped up with the winner against his old club in the 92nd minute after Bordeaux had earlier seen a 4-1 lead pegged back by the battling host.

The visitor led after just three minutes through Nicolas Maurice-Belay and, although David Rozehnal levelled five minutes later, Obraniak's first had it in front again by the 16th minute.

Maurice-Belay added a third four minutes into the second half before Yoan Gouffran made it four for Bordeaux just before the hour mark.

Third-placed Lille responded as Eden Hazard and then Mathieu Debuchy got it back in it, before an 89th-minute equaliser from Nolan Roux looked certain to see the match end in stalemate.

However, Obraniak bailed out Bordeaux in stoppage-time as he finished from close range in injury-time.

Paris Saint-Germain was denied victory for the first time since Carlo Ancelotti's appointment as coach after a 0-0 draw at struggling Nice.

PSG pressed in the second half and was thwarted in stoppage-time when Nice goalkeeper Cedric Ospina tipped away Nene's free-kick to preserve a point for his side.

But it was by no means one-way traffic and Nice had chances of its own to win it, defender Luciano Monzon shooting just wide in the second half.

PSG nonetheless returns to the summit, a point ahead of Montpellier, while Nice remains in the relegation zone but move ahead of Auxerre into 18th place on goal difference.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the second-half winner as St Etienne won 1-0 at Toulouse.

Aubameyang grabbed a brilliant winner after 71 minutes when he controlled Jeremy Clement's long ball and, under pressure from the home defence, lobbed keeper Ali Ahamada.

With Paris Saint-Germain not in action until Sunday afternoon (Monday morning AEDT), Montpellier had the opportunity to leapfrog the capital aristocrat and seized it.

The goals came from Younes Belhanda, who opened the scoring with a 53rd-minute penalty, Remy Cabella, who doubled the lead 11 minutes later, and top scorer Olivier Giroud, who netted in the 67th minute.

Montpellier has now won seven competitive matches in succession without conceding, and it heads PSG on goal difference. PSG plays Nice.

Lyon is now a distant 10 points behind the top two, with its title hopes increasingly faint after a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Caen, which completed a league double over Les Gones.

Goals from Romain Hamouma and Livio Nabab in either half secured the upset win despite Lisandro Lopez's late penalty for Lyon.

Caen won the reverse fixture 1-0 in September but had won just twice in the league since, however this success sees it climb three points clear of the bottom three.

Rennes nudged up a place to fifth, as Mevlut Erding's goal subjected his former club Sochaux to a 1-0 defeat.

The Turkish striker, a product of Sochaux's youth academy, headed home in the 15th minute to keep Rennes in touch with the European hopeful and leave Ligue 1's bottom club winless in nine matches.

Brest drew 1-1 at home against Dijon, snatching a late equaliser with 10 men against the struggler.

The visitor had the better of a goalless first half but had to wait until the 75th minute to take the lead through Gael Kakuta.

Brest then had Issam Jemaa sent off with a minute remaining but still managed to salvage a point when Santiago Gentiletti headed home in stoppage-time.

Auxerre missed the chance to move out of the Ligue 1 relegation zone as it conceded an injury-time equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to 10-man Lorient.

Innocent Emeghara levelled for the visitor at the death to cancel out Willy Boly's 18th-minute opener.

Lorient had been a man down since midway through the first half when goalkeeper Fabien Audard was sent off for handling the ball outside his penalty area as Ben Sahar raced through on goal.

Mamadou Samassa scrambled home a deserved winner for Valenciennes in time added on at the end of a match to clinch a 1-0 win against Nancy.

Traore, who was part of the Burkina Faso squad eliminated in the group stage, returned from the tournament complaining of pain in his left thigh.

A medical examination on Monday revealed a muscle problem.