Nantes beats French leader Lyon 2-1

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-7  |     ONLINE EDITION

IVAN Klasnic came off the bench for his first two goals of the season as Nantes beat French leader Lyon 2-1 yesterday, handing the seven-time defending champion its third defeat of the season.

With Marseille beating Nice 2-1, Rennes drawing, and Bordeaux winning on Friday, Lyon lost points to its three main rivals for the title.

Lyon's defeat means it stays on 34 points after 17 rounds, three ahead of Marseille and four more than Rennes.

Missing top scorer Karim Benzema through injury, Lyon handed a rare start to Frederic Piquionne in attack and he gave Lyon the lead in the 42nd minute when Nantes goalkeeper Jerome Alonzo parried Kim Kallstrom's free kick into his path.

Lyon looked in control until Klasnic came on in the 59th and equalized for Nantes a minute later when he slotted home a pass from David De Freitas with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris grounded.

Klasnic, who joined from Werder Bremen last summer, converted the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 89th after striker Mamadou Bagayoko was fouled inside the penalty area by defender Lamine Gassama.

Earlier, Marseille striker Mamadou Niang scored his sixth goal of the season to lead Marseille 2-1 over Nice.

Niang scored from the penalty spot in first-half injury time after Marseille had taken the lead in the 14th minute on an own goal from Nice midfielder Olivier Echouafni. Habib Bamogo pulled a goal back for Nice in the 48th.

Marseille and Nice, which has played a game less, had been level on points heading into the match at Stade Velodrome.

Marseille's win takes it to 31 points from 17 rounds _ one point more than third-place Rennes, which drew 1-1 at Caen.

Also, it was: Lille 1, Toulouse 1, and Saint-Etienne 2, Le Havre 0.

In today's games, it is: Grenoble vs. Auxerre; Lorient vs. Nancy; Monaco vs. Sochaux, and Paris Saint-Germain vs. Le Mans.

On Friday, Bordeaux beat Valenciennes 2-1.