Euro Bites: Ligue 1 - Marseille crisis, PSG hit top spot, Valbuena joins Lyon and Troyes save a point in thriller

After two rounds of matches, champions Paris Saint-Germain are already top of the Ligue 1 table in an ominous sign for their rivals.

Reims and Caen are the only other teams to boast a 100% win record, while Marseille are second bottom, joined by EA Guingamp and Montpellier HSC without any points from their opening two matches.

MARSEILLE IN CRISIS AFTER REIMS LOSS

Marseille’s miserable start to the season continued on Sunday with a 1-0 defeat away at Reims. OM had been hoping to bounce back after last weekend’s resignation of coach Marcelo Bielsa, but caretaker boss Franck Passi was unable to lead his players to victory at Stade Auguste Delaune.

Hamari Traore’s 14th minute goal was enough to separate the two sides as Marseille finished with 10 men after Alaixys Romao was shown a straight red card with 16 minutes to go. The southerners continue to search for a new coach to replace the recently departed Bielsa.

PSG ALREADY TOP AFTER AJACCIO WIN

French champions PSG have hit top spot in Ligue 1 ahead of time, after a 2-0 home win over top flight debutants Ajaccio on Sunday. It is the first time since the 2005-06 season, when the capital club won their first three games, that les Parisiens have won both of their opening fixtures.

Goals from Blaise Matuidi and captain Thiago Silva were enough to see Laurent Blanc’s men claim all three points against the Corsican minnows. Brazilian Silva’s goal came at the end of a week when Selecao coach Dunga left the defender out of his squad for friendlies against Costa Rica and the United States.

MATHIEU VALBUENA RETURNS TO FRANCE AFTER 12-MONTH ABSENCE

Just over 12 months after leaving Marseille and France for Russian side Dynamo Moscow, France international Mathieu Valbuena is back in Ligue 1 with Olympique Lyonnais. The man known as “le Petit Velo” joined les Gones in a €5 million move, signing a three-year contract at Stade Gerland.

Valbuena’s move will reinvigorate the player ahead of the 2016 UEFA European Championship on home soil and his arrival in Lyon is a boost for the club and le Championnat. However, Marseille supporters are not happy with the move and the southerners are debating bringing the player’s previously retired No. 28 shirt back into service.

LYON GET THEIR SEASON UP AND RUNNING WITH GUINGAMP WIN

Valbuena made his Lyon debut in Saturday’s away clash with Guingamp and the Frenchman has already helped his new team to their first three-point haul of the season. The 30-year-old played for 90 minutes at the Stade du Roudourou as Hubert Fournier’s men secured a 1-0 win.

Claudio Beauvue scored the only goal of the game against his former club, refusing to celebrate as a mark of respect towards the Breton outfit. The win lifts OL up to seventh in the early season table.

LATE SHOW SAVES 10-MAN TROYES A POINT AGAINST NICE

Ligue 1 has a reputation as a low-scoring, predictable league, but occasionally le Championnat produces thrilling encounters with plenty of goals. Saturday’s clash between newly promoted Troyes and Nice at Stade de l'Aube is a perfect example.

Jean-Marc Furlan’s men took the lead through Corentin Jean after just three minutes, but Hatem Ben Arfa equalised with a penalty for Nice three minutes later. Alassane Plea gave les Aiglons the lead before Troyes’ Chris Mavinga was sent off for two bookable offences.

Maxime Marchand gave Claude Puel’s men a 3-1 half-time lead and the Ligue 1 newcomers appeared to be facing an uphill task. However, late goals from Fabien Camus and Xavier Thiago secured an unlikely point for the hosts in dramatic fashion.

BENJAMIN STAMBOULI GIVEN HOT RECEPTION ON PSG DEBUT

One of PSG’s three summer signings, Benjamin Stambouli, made his home debut in the 2-0 win over Ajaccio last Sunday. After 75 minutes, coach Laurent Blanc brought the Frenchman on for Italian international Thiago Motta and Stambouli’s introduction provoked a fiery response from the home supporters.

Born in Marseille and raised an OM fan, Stambouli’s every touch was booed and jeered by those at Parc des Princes who cannot forgive him for his allegiance to PSG’s bitter southern rivals. This is not something that is likely to go away overnight, so the 25-year-old has a long way to go to win over les Parisien’s notoriously difficult to please fans.