The leaders had only two shots on target, but Tulio De Melo scored one of them and that was enough to collect the three points.

Paris St Germain kept in touch with the league leaders as Mevlut Erdinc scored a brace to sink rock-bottom Arles 2-1.

The Turkey striker opened the scoring after 17 minutes and bagged a second four minutes into the second half.

Deme N'Diaye pulled one back for the hosts eight minutes later but they could not force an equaliser at the Parc des Sports.

Lyon suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Valenciennes but still managed to move up to third in the Ligue 1 table after Rennes' hammering by Sochaux.

A Milan Bisevac penalty and a second from Gregory Pujol were enough to give the hosts three points despite Michel Bastos' 70th-minute strike for Lyon.

But better news came from the Stade Auguste-Bonal, where Rennes' 5-1 reverse saw them lose their superior goal difference and fall to fourth.

The scoreline told only half the story though as Rennes finished with nine men and a midfielder in goal.

Goals from Modibo Maiga, Marvin Martin and Brown Ideye had Sochaux 3-0 up before Rennes registered through Abdoulrazak Boukari.

But Nicolas Douchez was then sent off for bringing down Maiga, forcing Alexander Tettey to go in goal, with his first task picking Ryad Boudebouz's penalty out of the net.

An injury to Kader Mangane then reduced Rennes to nine men before Maiga's second wrapped up the scoring.

St Etienne leapfrogged Toulouse into sixth place as Bakary Sako's first-half brace helped them to a 2-1 victory at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard.

The result ended a proud record for Toulouse coach Alain Casanova, who had never lost at his boyhood club St Etienne in his time as a boss.

Franck Tabanou got the goal for the visitors.

Kevin Gameiro scored both goals as Lorient defeated derby rivals Brest 2-0 to go level with their Ligue 1 opponents in the standings.

Gameiro netted in the 62nd and 69th minutes to leave both sides on 28 points, though Brest have the edge on goal difference.