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Ligue 1 Preview: Fournier not expecting to claim top spot, Marseille entertain Lille

SoccerNews in Ligue 1 17 Dec 2014

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Hubert Fournier has played down talk that Lyon could head into the winter break top of Ligue 1 as they prepare to face Bordeaux on Sunday.

Lyon beat Caen last Friday to stretch their winning run to three matches and it proved to be a great weekend for Fournier’s men, as leaders Marseille and champions Paris-Saint Germain suffered defeats.

Alexandre Lacazette inspired the victory over Caen at the Stade de Gerland, scoring his second brace in as many games to ensure Lyon are just two points behind Marseille.

In their final game before the mid-season break, Lyon face a Bordeaux side who suffered a 2-1 defeat at Nantes last weekend and sit fifth in the table.

But Bordeaux boast an unbeaten home record in the league and Fournier is not getting head of himself after his side gained ground on the top two last weekend.

He told the club’s official website: “We had prepared well and the weekend went well. It was a good weekend for the standings.

“Not so long ago, we would have struggled to imagine we would be in this position. But it’s just a league position after Week 18.

“We are not even entertaining the idea of being top halfway through the season.”

Marseille suffered a 1-0 defeat at Monaco last weekend which coach Marco Bielsa felt was harsh on the leaders.

The wily Argentine will be confident his side can end the year at the top of the table with a home clash against Lille to come at fortress Stade Velodrome on Sunday. 

Marseille have reeled off eight Ligue 1 victories in a row at home and Lille’s solitary league triumph on the road came way back in August.

PSG slipped up as they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Guingamp last weekend and coach Laurent Blanc called for the big-spending Parisian giants to take collective responsibility for that setback.

Montpellier will be the visitors to Parc des Princes on Saturday, with Rolland Courbis’ men coming into the game on the back of a 3-3 home draw with Lens following a resounding 4-0 win at Rennes.

Fourth-placed Saint-Etienne will attempt to stretch their unbeaten run to 10 league games when they entertain Evian on Sunday, while Monaco face a trip to struggling Metz on Saturday.

Bottom side Caen are without a win in seven games ahead of their home clash with fellow strugglers Bastia on Saturday, while second-bottom Lens entertain Nice in the only game to be played on Friday.

Elsewhere this weekend, Guingamp will aim for a fourth successive top-flight win at Toulouse, Lorient host Nantes and Reims travel to Rennes.

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