Rennes top in France, Marseille on the march

Rennes provisionally took over at the top of the French first division with a 2-1 win at Nice on Saturday, while champions Marseille climbed to fifth after beating Sochaux.

Rennes are two points clear of Saint-Etienne and Toulouse after Victor Hugo Montano’s 77th-minute goal secured all three points for the Breton side at Nice.

Stephane Dalmat had put Rennes into a seventh-minute lead when he poked home after David Ospina spilled a shot, before Danijel Ljuboja drew the hosts level with a well-placed strike in the 26th minute.

Marseille’s 2-1 victory enabled them to record back-to-back wins for the first time in the league this season and left them four points adrift of Rennes.

They took the lead in fortuitous circumstances in the 19th minute when left-back Taye Taiwo’s over-hit cross from wide on the left sailed over Sochaux goalkeeper Matthieu Dreyer and inside the right-hand post.

Lucho Gonzalez doubled their advantage by volleying in a flick-on from home debutant Loic Remy, before substitute Nicolas Maurice-Belay reduced the arrears with 14 minutes to play.

Saint-Etienne, who led the table going into the weekend, visit 18th-placed Lyon later on Saturday in the 100th Derby du Rhone.

Lyon finished second in the league and reached the Champions League semi-finals last season but have endured a wretched start to 2010-11, leading to speculation that coach Claude Puel could lose his job.

In Saturday’s other matches, Bordeaux drew 0-0 at Caen, Montpellier beat rock-bottom Arles-Avignon 3-1 and Lorient earned a 2-1 win at home to Monaco thanks to an 89th-minute winner by summer signing Lynel Kitambala.

Kenyan Dennis Oliech scored the season’s fastest goal when he put Auxerre ahead after 57 seconds of their 2-2 draw at home to Nancy.