SATURDAY’S MATCHES
Auxerre 1, Caen 1
Auxerre remained winless following this match and looked to have bagged their first victory of the season after Benoit Pedretti had put them in the lead about halfway through the first half but Caen scored an equalizer deep into injury time when Youssef El Arabi netted to salvage a point.
Lens 1, Lille 4
Lille won a Northern French derby contest as the home side played the final half-hour-plus with only nine men. Ivorian Gervinho started the scoring for the visitors in the 23rd minute and Lille’s hopes were boosted when Lens had their first player sent off a few minutes before halftime. Just a few minutes after halftime Lens were two men down when Issam Jemaa collected a second caution. Shockingly though nine-man Lens equalized just after the hour mark through Razak Boukhari. In the final ten minutes, however, Lille made their numerical dominance finally pay off when they erupted for three goals including two in two minutes by Pierre-Alain Frau before Gervinho scored his second three minutes before time.
Lyon 1, Valenciennes 1
Lyon continued their, by their standards of the last decade, atrocious start with a home draw to Valenciennes. The new Lyonnais acquisitions just have not clicked this season so far as the former dynastic-like French club find themselves currently just a few spots above the relegation zone. Midfielder, Jeremy Pied, had put Lyon in front before the half hour but Valenciennes snatched the draw with a goal in thre 69th minute from Gaetan Bong.
Montpellier 1, Nancy 2
Another team playing short by match end was the club with the female name, Nancy, who had taken a 2-0 lead through first half goals by Djamel Bakar and Bakaye Traore before Montpellier pulled back a consolation goal barely a minute after Nancy were reduced to ten men. Marco Estrada scored the host side’s goal from a free kick.
PSG 4, Arles 0
The capital side easily brushed aside Ligue 1 newboys, Arles, with a 4-0 thrashing. Arles are definitely finding life at the top level in France nothing short of a nightmare right now as they have five losses from five matches. PSG have started their season rather hit and miss but were obviously on “hit” today and had their goals scored by Guillaume Hoarau in the 19th minute, Mamadou Sakhou ten minutes later in the 29th before Nene bagged a second half brace with goals in the 49th & 56th minutes.
Rennes 2, Sochaux 1
Rennes scored early in the fifth minute to take the lead before Sochaux equalized several minutes before halftime. Rennes found their winner in the third minute of stoppage time courtesy of Senegalese midfielder, Kader Mangane.
Toulouse 0, Saint-Étienne 1
Surprise Ligue 1 leaders, Toulouse, had their perfect record ended and were stunned at home by Saint-Étienne, 1-0, with the goal being scored by veteran and former Toulouse playing Laurent Batlles. Despite the loss Toulouse still tops the Ligue 1 table and Les Verts’ win continued their fine start to the league campaign and they find themselves in third place behind Rennes and Toulouse.
SUNDAY’S MATCHES
Brest 0, Lorient 0
Brest and Lorient played out a nil-nil draw in Brittany with poor finishing dooming the home side to only grasping a point from this match. Tomas Micola came closest to scoring but a fine save and a narrow miss denied the Czech on the two occasions.
Nice 2, Bordeaux 1
Bordeaux continued their poor start to the French season with a 2-1 defeat to Côte d’Azur club, Nice. Bordeaux could only muster a late, late stoppage time consolation goal, 96th minute to be exact, from the penalty spot. Anthony Modeste scored the spot kick following a handball in the area. The home side had originally taken the 2-0 lead on goals by Eric Mouloungui and substitute Habib Bamogo.
Marseille 2, Monaco 2
Marseille had to fight back from a goal deficit twice to salvage a draw in the Stade Velodrome as the southern French side continued their slow start to the Ligue 1 campaign. The Monegasque principality side had opened the scoring on the quarter hour mark through Romanian striker, Daniel Niculae angled shot but Marseille’s Mathieu Valbuena leveled three minutes before the break. Monaco had thought they had stolen a winner in the 79th minute when Korean Park Chu-Young slipped a ball past Steve Mandanda in goal but were themselves stunned only a minute later when another Mathieu Valbuena shot, this time deflected and credited as own goal to Adriano Pereira, found its way into the Monaco goal.