The weekend in France kicked off with a draw between Bordeaux and Lille.
Ludovik Obraniak struck first for the home side after twenty minutes. With Bordeaux unable to add to their lead, Lille waited until added time to equalise when defender Marko Basa found the back of the net.
Paris Saint-Germain managed a narrow victory against newly-promoted Reims. Kevin Gameiro scored the only goal of the game to ensure that PSG’s point-scoring run continues.
Toulouse defeated Evian 4-0 away from home, a win which sees them jump to fourth in the Ligue 1 table. Franck Tabanou opened the scoring midway through the first half before Emmanuel Riviere added two goals of his own. Former Bolton forward Daniel Braaten added Toulouse’s 4th goal late in the game.
Nancy and Sochaux battled to a 1-1 draw. Nancy defender Sebastien Puygrenier found the back of the net to give the home side the lead. Sochaux pushed for an equaliser and managed it through Sebastien Roudet. Nancy’s Djamel Bakar was shown a red card for a foul on Ryad Boudebouz but Sochaux were unable to take advantage.
Nice and St Etienne also drew 1-1. Eric Bautheac opened the scoring for Nice just before the half hour mark but former Marseille striker Brandao was able to strike the equaliser midway through the second half.
Montpellier lost once again, this time in a 2-1 defeat to Rennes. Jean II Makoun, on loan at Rennes from Premier League side Aston Villa, scored early in the match before Mevlut Erding extended their lead.
A penalty from Younes Belhanda gave the reigning champions a fighting chance but they were unable to find any points from this fixture.
Lorient’s points-scoring run came to an abrupt end as they lost 6-1 away to Valenciennes. Lorient opened the scoring early in the match through Benjamin Corgnet before Carlos Sanchez equalised four minutes later.
Valenciennes were ahead when Anthony Le Tallec found the net soon after the equaliser. 34-year-old defender Arnaud Le Lan was shown a straight red card with under 20 minutes played, making Lorient’s task of getting back into the game even more difficult.
In the second half, Gael Danic extended the Valenciennes lead from the penalty spot before Lorient were dealt yet another blow when striker Innocent Emeghara was found guilty of a professional foul, reducing his side to nine men.
Anthony Le Tallec’s second goal split two Vincent Aboubakar strikes ensuring the resounding victory for Valenciennes. The win moves the side to fourth in the Ligue 1 table.
The Corsican derby between Ajaccio and Bastia failed to live up to the billing. Neither side was able to grab a victory as it finished goalless. The only real action of the game occurred late in the second half when Johan Cavalli and Gael Angoula were sent off for their involvement in a scuffle as tempers flared.
Lyon were narrow victors against Brest. In the second half, a lovely through ball from former Fulham, Spurs and Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque allowed Bafetimbi Gomis to lob goalkeeper Alexis Thebaux for the goal. Brest do, however, have Thebaux to thank for keeping the score down.
The weekend’s final match saw newly-promoted Troyes face Marseille. Marseille demanded a penalty late in the game but Remy was adjudged to have dived under pressure. Benjamin Nivet gave Troyes the lead in the 89th minute of the game. Troyes were able to hold on for the victory despite pressure from Marseille in added time.
Week nine results: Bordeaux 1-1 Lille; PSG 1-0 Reims; Evian 0-4 Toulouse; Nancy 1-1 Sochaux; Nice 1-1 St Etienne; Rennes 2-1 Montpellier; Valenciennes 6-1 Lorient; Ajaccio 0-0 Brest; Lyon 1-0 Brest; Troyes 1-0 Marseille.
Good week: Troyes – The side’s first win of the season comes rather unexpectedly against a Marseille side who have made a very strong start to the season. The win removes them from the bottom of the Ligue 1 table on goal difference.
Bad week: Lorient – The unbeaten run comes to a sudden halt after their destruction at the hands of Valenciennes. They will hope to get back in amongst the points next week.
You can follow Jason Milligan on Twitter @J_746 and read more of his work at French Football Weekly.
