Draw takes Lyon to summit, Lille beat Bordeaux
Lyon returned to the top of the Ligue 1 table after securing a 2-2 draw from a topsy-turvy Rhone Valley derby match against Saint-Etienne at the Stade de Gerland on Sunday night.
Clinton N'Jie handed the hosts the lead midway through the first half before Lindsay Rose saw red for Hubert Fournier's high flyers and Max Gradel converted from the spot to level matters. Romain Hamouma put Saint-Etienne ahead on the brink of half-time but the home side pressed for a result and Christophe Jallet equalised to clinch a point that sends his side to the summit.
Lyon are level on points with reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, who have a game in hand, while their opponents sit eight points further back in fifth.
Lille kept themselves within sight of fourth place after beating fellow-chasers Bordeaux 2-0 at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. Rene Girard's side scored a goal either side of the break at home, with Nolan Roux and Adama Traore doing the damage in a game that saw six yellow cards issued overall. However, the win sees Lille now just four points behind Bordeaux, as they picked up their sixth win in seven games, and a third on the trot.
Hilton's early header earned Montpellier a narrow 1-0 victory in their clash with Caen at Stade de la Mosson. The Brazilian defender made sure the hosts bounced back to winning ways following last weekend's 1-0 reverse at Toulouse as they moved up to seventh in the standings.
The defeat leaves Patrice Garande's Caen in 13th after collecting just four points from their last six league matches.