Bordeaux slump to rare home defeat

Champions Girondins Bordeaux slumped to their first home Ligue 1 defeat in over two years when Valenciennes beat them 1-0 yesterday.

Bordeaux, who had not lost before their fans since a 3-1 defeat by Olympique Lyon in October 2007, stay ahead of second-placed Lyon on goal difference. Both sides have 25 points from 13 games after Lyon were held to a 1-1 draw at bottom club Grenoble.

Forward Mamadou Samassa scored the winner for Valenciennes with an angled shot on six minutes, sending the northerners up to third, two points off the pace.

Auxerre went on top after beating Monaco 2-0.

Bordeaux, who were missing key players in playmaker Yoann Gourcuff and holding midfielder Alou Diarra, both sidelined with injuries, lost their second league match in succession after a 2-0 defeat at Lille.

Coach Laurent Blanc would have hoped for a better warm-up before the team from the wine capital entertain Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Lyon were widely favoured to win at Grenoble, who had picked just one point from 12 games, and looked set to do so after Argentine winger Cesar Delgado put them ahead on 66 minutes.

Grenoble then had midfielder Laurent Courtois sent off in the 71st minute for angrily throwing the ball at an assistant referee. Two minutes later Serbian forward Danijel Ljuboja earned the home side a share of the points.