Paris, Dec 11: Paris Saint-Germain leveled with French league leader Montpellier in the standings after beating Sochaux 1-0 on Saturday.
France international Kevin Gameiro dribbled past Sochaux defender Loic Poujol to notch his ninth goal this season with an angled shot in the 20th minute.
“The team is gelling,” PSG coach Antoine Kombouare said. “The most difficult thing is to put ourselves in question (...) We know that it's a tough league, that we are awaited everywhere and that there's still a very long way to go.”
Montpellier still holds the top spot on goal difference despite losing 1-0 at Valenciennes.
Valenciennes midfielder Foued Kadir converted a rebound after Montpellier goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren parried a powerful drive from David Ducourtioux in the 46th.
“We performed poorly tonight,” Montpellier coach Rene Girard said. “We faced a Valenciennes side that was motivated. We didn't show as much desire as them.”
The result ended Montpellier's eight-game unbeaten run in the league.
“I saw things tonight that didn't please me,” Girard said. “We will have to be careful and not get sloppy.”
Also, it was: Rennes 1, Brest 1; Toulouse 2, Evian 1; Marseille 0, Bordeaux 0; Saint-Etienne 2, Caen 0; and Nancy 2, Ajaccio 2.
Brest striker Nolan Roux followed up to score in the 17th after a long-range effort from Bruno Grougi crashed against the bar. But Rennes defender Romain Danze equalized by heading in a free kick in the 30th.
In Toulouse, Turkish forward Umut Bulut scored from close range the winner off a pass from Etienne Capoue in the 90th.
Moussa Sissoko took a pass from Franck Tabanou to put Toulouse ahead in the 25th. But Evian leveled in the 50th when Daniel Wass beat goalkeeper Ali Ahamada.
Marseille hoped to make up ground in the race for a European spot but had to split the points with Bordeaux in a goalless draw at Stade Velodrome.
“We had opportunities but we lacked energy and lucidity in the final ball to make the difference,” Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena said.
Marseille had not recovered from its midweek heroics in Dortmund where it overcame a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 and qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League.
In Saint-Etienne, midfielder Banel Nicolita chipped Caen goalkeeper Alexis Thebaux in the 10th.
Caen was down to 10 men in the 42nd when forward Livio Nabab was sent off for slapping the butt of Saint-Etienne defender Jean-Pascal Mignot who had fouled him.
Saint-Etienne substitute Bakary Sako added a second goal in the 74th with an effort that deflected off a defender.
Striker Daniel Niculae salvaged a draw for Nancy in the third minute of injury time.
Nancy winger Djamel Bakar opened the scoring with a curling shot in the 10th.
Ajaccio equalized with an own goal from Nancy defender Andre Luiz in the 34th before taking the lead with a strike into the top corner from Johan Cavalli in the 73rd.
On Sunday, Auxerre faces Nice, Lille hosts Dijon and Lyon travels to Lorient.
