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Karim Benzema recovered his scoring touch to help Lyon go three points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-1 victory at Le Mans.

Lyon have 59 points with eight games left, three ahead of Bordeaux who needed a late Marouane Chamakh goal to defeat Nancy 1-0.

Visiting Nancy played the last 40 minutes with 10 men after the sending-off of Frederic Biancalani.

Marseille, third on 55 points, visit St Etienne on Sunday. Lille are fourth on goal difference after a 2-0 win at Nantes.

Toulouse are fifth on 53 points after being held to a goalless draw at second-bottom Caen.

Lyon scored from both of their first-half chances through defender Jean-Alain Boumsong and striker Benzema, who had not found the back of the net since February 21.

Boumsong struck from close range when he took advantage of poor defending after a Juninho corner in the 16th minute.

Lyon then stayed calm to snuff out three good chances in succession for the home side, especially when their Cameroon midfielder Jean II Makoun headed away a volley from Frederic Thomas with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris clearly beaten.

Benzema then doubled Lyon's advantage with a low, right-foot shot that hit the post before crossing the line in the 44th.

"I never doubt myself but every striker has to go through a scoring drought in his career. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not," Benzema said.

The second-half was marred by controversy.

Referee Philippe Malige awarded a penalty to Le Mans in the 54th after Belgian forward Roland Lamah went down in the box even though Lloris did not appear to have touched him.

However, Malige changed the decision after consulting his linesman.

Three minutes later Benzema made it 3-0 when he headed the ball into an empty net although Le Mans claimed he was offside.

Substitute Anthony Le Tallec got a consolation goal for the home side, who had created numerous chances throughout the game.

Nancy played the last half hour with 10 men at Bordeaux after midfielder Frederic Biancalani was sent off but the home side failed to break the deadlock until their Morocco striker Chamakh lobbed Damien Gregorini in the 88th minute.

The defeat left Nancy in 15th place on 30 points, one point above the drop zone and ahead of Nantes on goal difference.

"I liked our fighting spirit," said Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc.

"That is the kind of game you have to win.

"We were under an obligation to collect three points and we did it."

Mid-table Monaco suffered a 1-0 home defeat by bottom club Le Havre, who are still eight points shy of the safety zone.

Valenciennes's ex-Rangers striker Jean-Claude Darcheville scored twice to secure a 2-0 home victory over Auxerre while Lorient won 3-1 at Grenoble in another mid-table clash.

Reuters