Girondins de Bordeaux strengthened their grip on second place in Ligue 1 with a 2-0 win at Stade Rennais FC, who drop to sixth following their defeat.

Goals from Alou Diarra after 17 minutes and Brazilian midfielder Fernando Menegazzo nine minutes from time secured a win which leaves Bordeaux six points behind Olympique Lyonnais, who visit Olympique de Marseille on Sunday. Rennes slip below OGC Nice who played out a goalless draw with LOSC Lille Métropole.

Le Mans UC 72 missed the chance to claim fifth place themselves despite taking a 32nd-minute lead at AS Saint-Etienne through Anthony Le Tallec. Geoffrey Dernis levelled before half-time and then two goals in quick succession from Bafétimbi Gomis and Dernis again put the home side in charge before Pascal Feindouno made it 4-1 late on.

At the bottom of the table, RC Strasbourg lost 2-0 at home to AS Monaco FC to drop into the relegation places. A win would have taken the Alsatian side above their southern rivals but second-half goals from Nenê and Fabio Santos settled the contest in the away team's favour.

Miralem Pjanic's last-minute goal rescued a point for FC Metz at fellow strugglers RC Lens and Toulouse FC versus FC Lorient finished goalless. FC Sochaux-Montbéliard defeated, and overtook, their hosts AJ Auxerre through a solitary Damien Perquis goal and Issam Jemaa's strike helped SM Caen see off Valenciennes FC.