Lyon beat Grenoble to retain top spot in France

Lyon’s 2-0 victory over neighbours Grenoble on Saturday assured Claude Puel’s men of the French league top spot this weekend and helped them reassert themselves after a run of just one win in six matches.

Ederson’s 15th-minute opener and then Cesar Delgado’s strike towards the end of the match will have helped the seven-times reigning champions in their self-belief.

Lyon star Karim Benzema fed Ederson who shot firmly past keeper Gregory Wimbe for the first goal and then Delgado hit the second in the 77th minute after finding the net at the far post following a cross from the left by Kim Kallstrom.

Puel said it was important that Lyon stayed out in front in the title race.

“It’s important to stay ahead and we are comfortable out in front,” Puel said. “We have had difficulties lately but the squad has responded in a difficult situation, when things aren’t going so well.

“We need to be more consistent, to be capable of the same high performance week-in, week-out. We will have to work on that.”

Laurent Blanc’s Bordeaux however have won their last four matches, including a Yoann Gourcuff-led, 4-0 thrashing of PSG last weekend which gave notice to Lyon that a team capable of high quality both in defence and going forward was not far behind.

A win at Nantes later on Saturday would propel Bordeaux to just one point behind Lyon, who have Sidney Govou, John Mensah, Anthony Reveillere and Francois Clerc on the injured list.

Marseille moved up a place to third following a 2-0 win over Le Havre.

Mathieu Valbuena hit their first goal in the 25th minute after receiving the ball from Benoit Cheyrou and, running into the box, fired right-footed across goal into the net.

Ronald Zubar then headed home the second on the hour at the far post following a freekick on the left from Karim Ziani.

Marseille coach Eric Gerets said his side could have scored more.

“We could have scored one or two more goals,” Gerets said. “It could have been 3 or 4 nil for example. But I’m still pleased that we won a home match and that we did not concede a goal.

“We could have scored more goals at important moments but at the end of the day it was a deserved victory for us.”