Remy puts Marseille back in French hunt

A first-half goal from summer signing Loic Remy gave Marseille a morale-boosting 1-0 home win over Nancy on Saturday to bolster their hopes of retaining the French league title.

Marseille have struggled for consistency this term after ending an 18-year title drought last season under World Cup-winning skipper Didier Deschamps. enduring two early home reverses.

But they narrowed the gap on surprise early pace-setters Rennes to three points – albeit having played a game more – after Remy, on target for France in last week’s Euro 12 qualifier win over Romania, fired in from close range after good work by Andre-Pierre Gignac.

Deschamps had said in signing Remy from Nice along the Cote d’Azur that “I’ve brought him in to score goals” and he did not disappoint with an all-round muscular performance in front of a crowd which included Deschamps’ former France teammate Zinedine Zidane.

Deschamps had also opined before the match that surprise early poor form had been “weighing around our necks” but a workmanlike showing all round enabled them to vault back into the top three.

Rennes travel to Lens and second-placed Saint Etienne to Nice on Sunday bidding to keep the titleholders at arm’s length.

Also Sunday, Lille will try to go two points ahead of Marseille with a win at former serial champions Lyon, who have managed just two wins this season to find themselves mired near the drop zone, level on points with third-bottom Nancy.

Saturday’s late match was pitting perenially inconsistent Paris Saint Germain against Toulouse, both sides hoping for a win that would take them into the top five in PSG’s case and the top three in Toulouse’s.

Other Saturday highlights saw little Arles garner their first point in the top flight after a draw at fellow promotees Brest.

Although Arles are looking likely to go straight back down they at least avoided the fate of Grenoble, who last year set a record for the worst ever start to a league season – 11 straight losses. Arles stopped the rot at eight.

Bordeaux, champions in 2009 under France coach Laurent Blanc, have since lost their way somewhat but they are back in touch, a point behind Marseille, after Anthony Modeste netted an astute header from a quick corner.

But the visitors ended the contest with ten men after Alou Diarra was red-carded 20 minutes from time for shoving the referee.

The loss left Auxerre in the bottom six ahead of a midweek trip to Amsterdam to face Ajax – but the French side have little hope of advancing from a group dominated by Real Madrid and Ac Milan.