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An early goal from Mamadou Niang fired Marseille to their third consecutive home win on Saturday, edging past second-placed Auxerre.
The three points take Marseille up to sixth spot, while Jacques Santini’s team stay second after third-placed Bordeaux were also beaten.
Marseille started in determined fashion, forcing two corners inside the first minute. They made the perfect start when Samir Nasri, handed a rare outing by Coach jean Fernandez, swung over the second corner from the right. The ball was flicked on by Lorik Cana at the near post and Mamadou Niang arrived, totally unmarked, to fire home past an exposed Fabien Cool
After a barren run of form, marred by injury, Niang is seemingly coming good with two goals in his last two matches now.
Marseille’s joy was almost shortlived as Auxerre went straight up to the other end and forced a corner of their own, but this time Fabien Barthez was able to produce an excellent reflex save to keep out Oumar Kalabane’s header.
Nasri was enjoying an influential evening and he had a chance to double the home team’s lead shortly after the interval. But after playing a sharp one-two with Franck Ribéry, the teenager shot over Fabien Cool’s frame.
Auxerre finished strongly and were unfortunate not to claim a point. Luigi Pieroni headed against the base of Barthez’s post from Yann Lachuer’s free kick, before Kanga Akalé was denied a chance in the dying seconds by Bostjan Cesar’s strong tackle.
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