Jung hands Lille title initiative as Lyon crash

PARIS (AFP) - A 77th-minute goal by South Korean substitute Jung Jo-Gook earned Auxerre a 1-1 draw at champions Marseille on Sunday that shifted the title race momentum firmly in Lille's favour.

Jung had only been on the pitch for eight minutes when he finished between the legs of Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to cancel out Mathieu Valbuena's 56th-minute opener.

Marseille had dominated proceedings at Stade Velodrome but now find themselves a point behind Lille—who return to the summit by thrashing Arles-Avignon 5-0 on Saturday—with five matches of the season remaining.

Third-placed Lyon saw their nascent title ambitions effectively snuffed out at Toulouse, going down 2-0 and finishing the game with nine men after Michel Bastos and Aly Cissokho were both sent off in the second half.

Lyon are now seven points behind Lille and level on points with Paris Saint-Germain in the contest for the third and final Champions League qualifying place.

Toulouse had not lost at home to Lyon in four previous encounters and they took the lead in the 28th minute when Argentine centre-back Mauro Cetto met Franck Tabanou's right-wing free-kick with an emphatic header.

Lyon coach Claude Puel introduced striker Bafetimbi Gomis for midfielder Kim Kallstrom at half-time but saw Brazil international Bastos dismissed in the 63rd minute after two poorly timed challenges in the space of a minute.

Toulouse immediately capitalised via a comical own goal from Cissokho, who put too much on an attempted back-pass to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and succeeded only in lobbing the French international.

Cissokho's afternoon then ended in ugly circumstances, with the French left-back shown a straight red card for taking a swipe at Daniel Braaten.

At Marseille the hosts dominated the opening exchanges, with Olivier Sorin saving from Jordan Ayew, twice, and producing an acrobatic stop to deny Lucho Gonzalez just beyond the half hour.

Auxerre's resistance finally crumbled after 12 minutes of the second half when Valbuena deftly dispatched an Andre Ayew cross at the back post to put OM ahead.

Seemingly cantering to victory, Marseille received a sucker punch with 13 minutes to play when Jung hared onto a long ball and beat Mandanda with a half-volley.

Jung's goal took Auxerre to 14th, level on points with Valenciennes, Caen and Nice but just one point above the relegation zone.

Caen gave their bid to avoid the drop a shot in the arm with a fine 4-0 win at Nice, who had Renato Civelli sent off on half-time.

Romain Hamouma claimed a brace, with Yohan Mollo and Youssef El Arabi also on target, as Franck Dumas's team escaped the bottom three at the expense of Nancy.

In the day's other 1500GMT kick-off, beaten League Cup finalists Montpellier were held to a 0-0 draw by visitors Brest to leave both sides in mid-table.

Sunday's late match sees Saint-Etienne, ninth, host 17th-placed Monaco, who go into the game above Nancy on goal difference alone.