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PSG clinch second win to ease drop fears
PARIS (AFP) - Paris Saint Germain moved further away from the drop zone Saturday as they fought out a 2-1 win against Le Mans at the Parc des Princes.
Paul Le Guen's side are now three points above the relegation zone moving one place up to 16th position following their second straight win after last weekend's 2-1 win against Lens.
Brazilian striker Grafite had given Le Mans the lead after 31 minutes but the Parisians earned maximum points and just their eighth victory of the campaign with goals from Peguy Luyindula (55) and substitute Amara Diane (80).
Diane had come on for underperforming captain Pauleta after 68 minutes and 12 minutes later found the net through the feet of Le Mans goalie Rodolphe Roche, much to the delight of the jubiliant home crowd.
PSG still face a battle for survival with upcoming fixtures against French League Cup winners Bordeaux, Toulouse and Lyon, but Le Guen believes they are on the right track.
"I'm delighted with the fighting spirit of my players," said Le Guen.
"We're still battling (relegation) but it's good to feel that the group, the club and fans are all behind us.
"We now have our destiny in our hands and we have to give everything for the remaining matches."
Le Mans coach Frederic Hanz believes the battle has forged a new team spirit in the PSG ranks.
"I think their win over Lens gave them a new lease of life. They're coming out of a dangerous situation, the trials that they've been through have made them stronger as a team," said Hanz.
While PSG are winning the battle for survival, up at the top end of the table Lyon, who are bidding for a record sixth successive title, were held to a goalless draw at promoted Valenciennes.
The champions still managed to extend their lead to 17 points and are just two wins from the title as their nearest challengers Lens suffered their third straight loss - a 1-0 defeat at Rennes.
Lyon defender Sebastien Squillaci admitted that the League Cup 1-0 defeat to Bordeaux served them a lesson, and they were happy to hold on for the draw.
"We kept our heads down until the final whistle. Even if we conceded one or two chances we were always in it, and we didn't concede a goal," said Squillaci.
Lens' bid to cement their Champions League claims for next season were further hit with John Utaka scoring the winner for the Brittany side after 31 minutes.
Lens' six-point advantage on Sochaux has now been cut to just two.
Sochaux were held 1-1 by fourth-from-bottom Nice.
And the battle for European places looks set to go down to the wire with ten teams all in with a chance with just seven points separating second-placed Lens and Le Mans, sitting 12th.
Marseille will also be bidding to reignite their faltering push on Europe when they host Lille, one point ahead of them, on Sunday.
Elsewhere Auxerre and Monaco were held to goalless draws at home by Bordeaux and Troyes respectively while Lorient won 1-0 at Nancy.
Nantes, meanwhile, remain stuck to the bottom of the table after losing 2-1 at Saint Etienne.
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