Lyon continued their charge for a seventh consecutive Ligue 1 title after a 2-1 win at Valenciennes took them nine points clear of Bordeaux.Winger Kader Keita opened the scoring with an eighth-minute header, though Eric Chelle nodded in an equaliser for the hosts after 28 minutes.

Sidney Govou volleyed in Keita's cross in the 65th minute to secure a sixth straight win for the champions, taking them to 67 points. Valenciennes remain ninth with 41 points.

At the bottom Metz fell to two late Achille Emana goals for Toulouse, leaving them 16 points from safety with only seven games remaining.

Miralem Pjanic hit the post for Metz in the second minute but Emana opened the scoring after 81 minutes and struck again two minutes later to take Toulouse above Paris Saint-Germain and into 18th place, now in the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Sochaux climbed to four points clear of the drop zone after Romain Pitau scored the only goal of the game against Nice.

The midfielder volleyed the winner in the 80th minute to secure a fourth win in six Ligue 1 games, easing Sochaux's relegation fears while denting the European hopes of his former club, who drop to sixth.

Auxerre also eased their relegation fears with a 2-0 victory at in-form Lille.

Dennis Oliech scored three minutes before the break before Daniel Niculae doubled the lead after 57 minutes to end a run of four games without a win.

Lille had come into the game after three consecutive wins but the defeat has tempered hopes UEFA Cup qualification, as they lie in seventh place on 42 points.

Auxerre move up to 13th, only two points behind.

Elsewhere in Ligue 1, Le Mans recorded their fourth straight draw as they were held 1-1 at home to Caen.

Yoan Gouffran gave the visitors the lead after 14 minutes but Marko Basa equalised in the 33rd minute to leave Caen in 12th place, now six points clear of the relegation zone.

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