Niang, Bastos trebles keep pressure on Bordeaux

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PARIS, Feb 21, 2010 (AFP) - Seasoned Senegalese international striker Mamadou Niang and Brazilian Michel Bastos both scored hat-tricks on Sunday for Marseille and Lyon respectively to maintain some pressure on French champions Bordeaux.

Niang's hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Nancy took him to the top of the goalscoring charts as he racked up 14 for the season six of which have come in February alone as Marseille moved to within six points of Bordeaux.

Bastos scored all his goals in the first-half as seven-time champions Lyon stormed to a 4-0 victory away at Sochaux - their record signing Argentinian international striker Lisandro Lopez rounding off the scoring 12 minutes from time.

Lyon moved to within five points of Bordeaux - who were given special dispensation not to play this weekend ahead of their Champions League match with Olympiakos on Tuesday - but have played a game more than both the leaders and Marseille.

Later Lille moved to four points off the pace set by Bordeaux with a 2-1 victory away at Rennes.

Niang could have had a hat-trick in the first-half as the bustling 30-year-old forward created endless problems for the Nancy defence especially Andre Luiz.

The Senegalese marksman struck first in the ninth minute as he rose majestically to meet a cross from Burkina Faso's Charles Kabore and head home in what was Marseille's first real attack of note.

Andre Luiz got a measure of revenge when he levelled for Nancy - whose attack had been blunted by the late injury of Moroccan veteran Youssouf Hadji - three minutes later as the Marseille defence went walkabout and unmarked he tapped home.

The irrepressible Niang was not to be denied a second as despite being manhandled by a Nancy defender he was able to swivel and volley home Nigerian defender Taye Taiwo's cross to give the hosts the lead 12 minutes before the break.

Niang completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute.

His strike partner Lucho Gonzalez was the provider as he released Niang with a perfectly sleighted ball that Niang pounced on and it was no contest with a one on one with the Nancy 'keeper and slotted it home.

Deschamps, who captained the last Marseille team to win silverware when they won the 1993 European Cup, was delighted to have put together another good win and praised Niang's contribution.

"As for Mamadou, I would just say he has been really effective ever since he came here in 2005 from Strasbourg)," said the 41-year-old.

"His statistics prove it. He scores on average 15 goals a season, which is no easy task."

Lyon coach Claude Puel was delighted to recorded such a convincing win which added to the 1-0 home win over Real Madrid in their Champions League last 16 first leg clash last Tuesday rounded off a highly satisfactory week.

"We can take a lot of positives out of this," purred Puel.

"It's the end of a good week. We have shown a lot of maturity and have shown ourselves to be a serious side."

Puel, who first sprang to prominence as a coach when he guided Monaco to the 2000 league title, said that he had not been surprised by Bastos' performance.

"Bastos gave his response to the competition for places up front on the pitch this evening (Sunday)," said 48-year-old Puel, who as a player was in the same Monaco side that reached the now extinct Cup Winners Cup final alongside Glenn Hoddle in 1992, though he was suspended for the final.

"He was aggressive in the good sense of the word. We always knew he had the potential. However, he is part of a group and therefore not assured of a starting place all the time."