Ligue 1: Marseille held, Saint-Etienne stay in touch

Marseille missed the chance to break away at the top of the Ligue 1 table after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Stade Rennes.

The defending champions enjoyed plenty of chances at the Stade Velodrome but could not find the back of the net and were lucky to escape with a share of the points after Jires Ekoko missed a fifth-minute penalty.

The point moves Marseille to the top of the table while Rennes remain in fifth, with just five points separating the top 12 sides.

Valenciennes scored a late goal to snatch a 1-1 draw with Saint-Etienne in Wednesday’s other match.

Emmanuel Riviere had put Saint-Etienne ahead after 15 minutes at the Stade Nungesser, but Gael Danic’s 76th-minute strike salvaged a point for Valenciennes.

The result lifts Valenciennes five points clear of the drop zone, while Saint-Etienne remain in contention for a top-four finish.