Lyon got back to winning ways against basement boys Metz on Saturday as a double from Fred earned them a 2-0 win at the Stade Gerland.The normally unflappable OL had won just two of their last five Ligue 1 games going into the game.
They got off to a fine start as Fred bagged his first after 11 minutes, but then had to wait until the 68th minute before the Brazilian sealed a 2-0 victory.
The win keeps second-placed Bordeaux at bay for another week - Les Girondins face Lille on Sunday with four points to make up on Les Gones.
Sunday's other game sees Toulouse host Marseille, who are six points off the final Champions League spot after Nancy came from behind to beat Lens 2-1.
Les Sang et Or took the lead four minutes before the break through Kader Mangane.
But Pascal Berenguer (72) and Youssouf Hadji (76) completed a swift turnaround to ensure Nancy stay in control of third place.
Le Mans are immediately behind them after an eventful 2-1 win at Valenciennes.
Marko Basa scored in the first minute before Anthony Le Tallec made it two after quarter of an hour.
But Steve Savidan pulled one back in first-half stoppage time and a mass brawl saw both Le Tallec and Valenciennes' Williams Martinez dismissed immediately after.
Nice lost ground with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Auxerre.
Bakari Kone gave the south-coast side the lead a minute after the break, but goals from Daniel Niculae (67) and Kamel Chafni (70) completed the turnaround.
Auxerre's Gabriel Tamas was dismissed five minutes from time.
At the bottom, Sochaux grabbed a valuable three points with a 2-0 win at Strasbourg thanks to first-half goals from Mickael Isabey and Mevlut Erding.
Paris St Germain remain precariously close to the drop zone after a 1-1 draw with Monaco.
Amara Diane put the capital club ahead two minutes before the break, but Sergio Almiron equalised after 70 minutes.
PSG are just four points above Sochaux and Toulouse, who occupy the final two relegation places.
Two points above them are Rennes, who beat Lorient 2-0 thanks to goals either side of half-time from Jimmy Briand and Jerome Leroy.
In Saturday's early kick-off, a clinical first-half performance from St Etienne was enough to secure just their second away victory of the season at Caen.
Two goals from Geoffrey Dernis sandwiching a strike from the in-form Bafetimbi Gomis established a three-goal cushion for Les Verts within 18 first-half minutes.
Lilian Compan pulled one back just after the hour mark before Dernis came agonisingly close to completing his hat-trick when he hit the post.
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