Montpellier scale French summit, OM edge Monaco

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PARIS, Feb 13, 2010 (AFP) - French top-flight surprise package Montpellier moved level on points with leaders Bordeaux by beating Grenoble 1-0 on Saturday, while title-chasing Marseille edged south coast rivals Monaco 2-1.

Montpellier, promoted from Ligue 2 last season, took the lead in the 28th minute when striker Victor Montano provided an emphatic finish to a sweeping move and his goal was enough to secure all the points.

"We're joint-leaders with Bordeaux, who play tomorrow, but that doesn't change anything," said Montpellier coach Rene Girard.

"Things can change quickly. We're playing for as many points as possible. There is a pack behind us. We're taking the games one at a time."

Defending champions Bordeaux, who were eliminated from the French Cup by Monaco in mid-week, can restore their three-point advantage on Sunday if they win at home to fifth-bottom Saint-Etienne.

Marseille dominated the first half of the Mediterranean derby, with Argentine playmaker Lucho Gonzalez at the heart of their aggressive start and Mathieu Valbuena twice denied by Monaco goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.

The visitors broke the deadlock in controversial circumstances in the 37th minute, when Mamadou Niang converted a typically cool penalty that he himself had won with a dramatic tumble under minimal pressure from Cedric Mongongu.

Monaco levelled the score three minutes later when striker Moussa Maazou's volley took a deflection off Stephane Mbia and crept inside Steve Mandanda's near post.

Niang and Souleymane Diawara both threatened to put OM ahead before Monaco midfielder Nicolas Nkoulou finally obliged by heading Valbuena's inswinging cross past his own goalkeeper in the 89th minute.

Monaco captain Alejandro Alonso compounded his side's misery in injury time when he was yellow carded for a sly kick on Taye Taiwo and then sent off for sarcastically applauding the referee.

"It's a big result, but it wasn't just about the result tonight, it was the way we achieved it," said Marseille coach Didier Deschamps.

"It's hard going in at 1-1 at half-time after the dominance we had. It was a very good performance for us against an opponent that was at our level."

Victory momentarily took Deschamps's team into fourth place, but Lyon reclaimed the position with a workmanlike 1-0 home defeat of Lens in Saturday's late game.

Claude Puel's side struggled to break down their obdurate opponents until substitutes Lisandro Lopez and Cesar Delgado combined for the winner in the 77th minute.

Third-placed Lille maintained the four-point gap to Montpellier by dispatching second-bottom Boulogne 3-1 at the Stadium Municipal.

All the goals came in the first half, with a Ludovic Obraniak brace sandwiching strikes by team-mate Adil Rami and Boulogne defender Olubayo Adefemi.

Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain's poor form continued as they drew 0-0 at Nancy, while Valenciennes beat Nice 2-1 thanks to an injury-time goal by Filip Sebo and 10-man Sochaux were held to a goalless draw at relegation-threatened Le Mans.

In Sunday's other matches, seventh plays eighth as Auxerre host Rennes, while Toulouse visit Lorient.