Paris, Sept 19: Michel Bastos scored one goal and set up the other Sunday to lead Lyon to the top of the French league with a 2-0 win over Marseille.
Lyon is the only team still undefeated in the league, while Marseille dropped to the bottom of the standings with just three points from six matches.
Bastos set up Lyon's opener when he charged down the left wing to cross for Bafetimbi Gomis, who went past Souleymane Diawara and flicked home in the 17th minute—although TV replays showed Gomis was offside.
Bastos added the second in the 29th when Maxime Gonalons won the ball in midfield to release the Brazil international down the left wing, and he fired into the bottom corner.
The Lyon winger then made a 50-meter run in the 43rd to outpace Benoit Cheyrou but missed the target from a tight angle.
Marseille created very little in the first half. Its only decent chance came from a cross by Loic Remy that playmaker Lucho Gonzalez headed wide in the 21st.
“We performed very well in the first half,” Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said. “In the second half, we too often tried to send long balls to Bafetimbi. We didn't develop plays and put ourselves a bit in trouble by giving the ball away to Marseille.”
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps opted for a more attack-minded team in the second half as he replaced Jeremy Morel and Alou Diarra at halftime with Morgan Amalfitano and Andre Ayew.
A cross from Cesar Azpilicueta eluded the Lyon defense in the 52nd but Ayew missed his header. Remy followed up but was hampered in his close-range effort by Ayew, lying on the ground in front of him, and Lloris stopped the tame shot with his leg.
Remy then headed a corner from Mathieu Valbuena in the 79th but Lyon defender Anthony Reveillere cleared the ball off the goal line.
“We must redouble efforts, keep on working and not hang our heads down even though we are going through hard times right now,” Marseille defender Diawara said. “I think the squad has the mental qualities (to overcome that).”
Also on Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain rallied from a two-goal deficit to salvage a 2-2 draw with Evian while Nancy was held 1-1 at Rennes. Rennes and PSG trail Lyon by three points.
Evian forward Yannick Sagbo slipped the ball to Jerome Leroy who beat PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to put the hosts ahead in the 14th.
Sagbo doubled the lead in the 20th by converting a penalty kick after PSG defender Sylvain Armand had handled the ball.
“We were down 2-0 after 20 minutes, it's not the best way to start a match,” PSG coach Antoine Kombouare said. “On the other hand, I liked a lot the character my team showed. We never gave up.”
Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore danced through the Evian defense to pull one back for PSG with a diagonal shot in the 43rd.
PSG midfielder Mathieu Bodmer equalized from close range in the 80th after Mevlut Erding had redirected a corner from Marcos Ceara.
In Rennes, Colombian striker Victor Hugo Montano netted for the hosts in the 19th after some fine work from winger Jonathan Pitroipa.
But Nancy captain Andre Luiz converted a spot kick in the 78th after a shot from Jonathan Brison had hit Rennes defender Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik on the arm.
“It's a pity we did not to take three points tonight,” Rennes captain Yann M'Vila said. “We were in control of the match. But we also lacked efficiency in front of goal.”
On Saturday, it was: Brest 2, Montpellier 2; Toulouse 3, Bordeaux 2; Lille 2, Sochaux 2; Lorient 3, Saint-Etienne 0; Auxerre 1, Caen 1; Valenciennes 4, Dijon 0; Nice 3, Ajaccio 0. AP
