Hotshots Valenciennes stun Rennes as Nice win again

Valenciennes moved up to sixth in the French first division table after stunning Rennes 3-0 on Sunday, while Nice followed up their shock 4-1 win over Lyon last weekend by beating Le Mans 1-0.

Rennes, beaten just twice in their previous 27 championship home games, initially assumed control at the Stade de la Route de Lorient, with visiting goalkeeper Guy N’Dy Assembe forced into action by Asamoah Gyan in the 15th minute.

Jires Kembo-Ekoko came even closer 10 minutes before the interval when his superb long-range effort struck the crossbar, while Gyan blazed over from 10 yards after being set free by Ismael Bangoura.

Valenciennes gave Rennes a shock early in the second half when Gregory Pujol drew a reflex save from Nicolas Douchez but the hosts failed to heed the warning and in the 58th minute Bobo Balde headed the visitors in front from Fahid Ben Khalfallah’s free-kick.

Ben Khalfallah sealed the points in the 78th minute, striding forward from midfield and bending a shot past Douchez, before Pujol added a third four minutes from time.

The win moves Philippe Montanier’s side above Rennes, Nancy, Lorient and Marseille into sixth place in the table and they also top the goalscoring charts with 22 strikes to date this season.

Second-bottom Le Mans were dealt a hammer blow after just 16 minutes of their match at Nice when Brazilian centre-back Geder was shown a straight red card after flinging an elbow at Mamadou Bagayoko.

His dismissal handed the initiative to the hosts and they took the lead in the 40th minute when Ismael Gace nodded home after away goalkeeper Didier Ovono got caught underneath the ball from a corner.

Anthony Mounier and Bagayoko both came close to extending Nice’s advantage before Thorstein Helstad missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise late on, heading off-target after Roland Lamah’s shot bounced back off the crossbar.

Sunday’s evening game sees Paris Saint-Germain, whose match at Marseille last weekend was postponed at short notice due to a swine flu outbreak at the capital club, travel to Sochaux.

Defending champions Bordeaux opened up a two-point lead at the top of the table on Saturday by beating Monaco 1-0, while Lyon moved up to second after Bafetimbi Gomis scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win at the home of his former employers Saint-Etienne.

Bottom club Grenoble remain without a single point after losing their 11th consecutive game 2-0 at home to Lille.