Bordeaux join Marseille in French league slump

PARIS (AFP) – Bordeaux replaced fellow strugglers Marseille at the bottom of the French league table Sunday after suffering a 2-1 home defeat to a spirited Toulouse, their second defeat in as many games.

Champions two years ago, and Champions League quarter-finalists last season, Bordeaux went into the campaign hoping to recover from the departure of Laurent Blanc, who is now coach of France.

“We’re obviously gutted. It’s a real shame to concede a goal right at the end,” said Bordeaux defender Benoit Tremoulinas, after Etienne Didot had hit an 83rd minute winner for Toulouse.

“We had problems getting into in the game in the first half, but we had more chances in the second-half and we moved it around a bit more.

“The goals we conceded tonight were avoidable and the next time up we’ll have to be more careful.”

Elsewhere on Sunday plucky Caen, who beat Marseille in the league opener last week, produced another giant-killing display to beat former seven-time champions Lyon 3-2 in Normandy.

Caen coach Franck Dumas admitted that in his heart of hearts he had not held out much hope for his team’s opening couple of games, but compared their high-flying position as “utopia”.

“Up against Marseille and then Lyon, I can’t hide from you that we’d counted on no points,” he said. “It’s reward for the energy of the players.”

Dumas, however, refused to get carried away, saying: “What interests me is the points and keeping a certain quality of game.

“As for my points objective, it’s to finish with one more than the team in 18th spot,” he said in reference to teams finishing in 18th, 19th and 20th place who will be relegated at season’s end.

Lyon coach Claude Puel was left lamenting his side’s defensive frailities, saying they had “allowed Caen to win the match”.

“We cannot be happy,” he said. “We got back into the game to score the two goals but we lacked the most elementary defensive rigor and even more on the third goal.”

Toulouse now lead the table ahead of Sunday’s late game between Lille and Paris Saint Germain.

Caen are the only other team on six points after two matches, meaning both they and Toulouse hold a two-point lead over Rennes, Valenciennes and Nice.

PSG sit in sixth place on three points and will go top if they beat Lille by two goals or more.