Ligue 1 wrap: Rennes edge PSG, Marseille climb to fourth

Paris St Germain remain second in Ligue 1, but only on goal difference after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Rennes on Saturday.

PSG could have closed the gap on league leaders Lille to one point with victory at the Stade de la Route de Lorient, but a long-range strike from midfielder Yacine Brahimi after 19 minutes was enough to secure three points for Rennes.

The win moved Rennes into third place, level on 37 points with PSG and just four points behind Lille who travel to Auxerre on Sunday.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Marseille moved into fourth after an unconvincing 1-0 win over bottom side Arles at home.

The only goal of the game came 10 minutes after the break, when Andre-Pierre Gignac slammed home a shot from close range after a cross from Brandao.

Emmanuel Riviere scored a double in the first half to lift St Etienne into fifth on the table with a 2-1 win over Montpellier, leaving them just six points behind Lille, with Jonas Martin scoring a late consolation for the hosts.

Brest ended a run of six games without a win when a fantastic long-range Bruno Grougi free-kick two minutes from the end handed them a 2-1 win over Nancy, who are just two points outside the relegation zone.

Jonathan Ayite had given the hosts the lead just before half-time but a Brou Apanga own goal levelled proceedings with 15 minutes to go before Grougi’s wonder strike.

Goals from Morgan Amalfitano and Kevin Gameiro were enough to hand Lorient a 2-0 win over Caen away from home, lifting them into ninth place.

Nice moved three points clear of the drop zone when a goal from Nemanja Pejcinovic just before the half-hour mark gave them a 1-0 win over Sochaux.

And Lens missed the chance to move out of the bottom three when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Valenciennes.

Issam Jemaa put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes, but Mathieu Dossevi struck back immediately for Valenciennes to ensure a share of the points.