PARIS: Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille both lost an opportunity to join the Ligue 1 title race when they were held to disappointing draws on Sunday.

Third-placed Lyon, on 26 points from 13 games, are now nine points behind leaders Paris St Germain and three adrift of second-placed Monaco after being held 0-0 at home to Montpellier.

Without the suspended Nabil Fekir, Lyon looked uninspired. In a game of few chances for both teams, Montpellier goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte was decisive in the 33rd minute to keep his team afloat following a fine one-two between Maxwell Cornet and Tanguy Ndombele.

Marseille lie fourth on 25 points but it could have been worse if Morgan Sanson had not scored in injury-time for them to salvage a 1-1 draw at Girondins de Bordeaux, where they have not won in 40 years.

Nicolas de Preville put Bordeaux ahead in only the third minute with an excellent individual goal, but after a largely lifeless display, Marseille snatched a point at the death through Sanson’s low finish to ensure they now have a two-point lead over fifth-placed Nantes.

Earlier on Sunday, Nice’s mediocre start to the season continued with a 1-1 draw at Caen, Ronny Rodelin’s dramatic last-gasp volleyed goal cancelling out Pierre Lees-Melou’s first-half strike for the Azurean side.

Nice, who finished the previous season in third place, are 16th on 14 points, just two points above the relegation zone while Caen are sixth on 19.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017