PSG, Auxerre lose in French league football

Paris Saint-Germain’s defensive frailties were exposed once again on Sunday as they fell to a heavy 3-1 defeat at Sochaux.

PSG have now conceded nine goals in their last three games in all competitions, having lost 4-3 at Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League on Thursday.

Antoine Kombouare’s side won that tie 5-4 on aggregate but there was no let-off at Sochaux, who took a 13th-minute lead when Gregory Coupet meekly pushed Nicolas Maurice-Belay’s strike into the path of a grateful Modibo Maiga.

Ideye Brown doubled the score by beating Coupet at his near post, before Damien Perquis capitalised on slack marking to head home unmarked from a corner in first-half injury time.

Guillaume Hoarau reduced the arrears early in the second period with a crisp half-volley but PSG could not build on the goal and had substitute Jeremy Clement sent off late on for slyly raking his studs down Maiga’s calf.

Sochaux climb to fourth, while Paris are without a win since the season’s opening day.

Auxerre, who booked their place in the Champions League group stage by beating Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday, put in a heavy-legged performance as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Monaco that leaves them second-bottom.

Lille joined PSG in the Europa League group phase in mid-week and they rescued a 1-1 draw – their fourth in four games – at home to Nice thanks to a well-worked second-half equaliser from Belgian winger Eden Hazard.

Bordeaux and Marseille will both be seeking to build on their first wins of the season last weekend when they meet at Stade Chaban-Delmas later on Sunday.

It will be Bordeaux’s first game since they sold Yoann Gourcuff to Lyon for 22 million euros, while champions Marseille could hand a debut to striker Loic Remy following his 15-million-euro switch from Nice.

Gourcuff tasted defeat on his Lyon debut on Saturday, as his side went down 2-0 at Lorient – the side coached by his father, Christian.

Gourcuff Jnr entered the fray as a first-half substitute for the injured Cesar Delgado, by which time Lyon already trailed to an eighth-minute penalty from recent France call-up Kevin Gameiro.

Lorient debutant Lynal Kitambala made it 2-0 in the second half, to leave Lyon on four points from their first four matches.

Claude Puel’s side are already eight points behind league leaders Toulouse, who maintained their 100 percent start with a 2-0 victory at Nancy on Saturday.