PARIS: Ten-man Lyon held on for a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Nice to move top of Ligue 1 on Sunday, as previous pace-setters Monaco lost for the first time this season.
Five teams are level on 14 points at the top of the table with Lyon heading Paris Saint-Germain, Paris FC, Lille and Monaco on goal difference.
But it was a close run affair for Lyon, playing in front of local boy and French cycling prodigy Paul Seixas, following Keito Nakamura's dismissal 20 minutes from time.
Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi, who opened the scoring for Nice on 18 minutes with his second goal of the season, was denied an injury-time equaliser by a razor-tight offside call.
Two goals in three minutes turned the game around by half-time as Pavel Sulc equalised by prodding home a rebound and Tanner Tessmann headed the hosts in front.
Veteran Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel headed against the bar early in the second half while Wahi hit the post with a close-range header, shortly after Nakamura was dismissed for a high boot.
Noah Cadiou's second-half penalty for Lorient prevented Monaco from returning to the top of Ligue 1 as the principality outfit fell to a 1-0 defeat in Brittany on Sunday.
Wing back Dembo Sylla earned the penalty on the hour mark at the Stade du Moustoir as he was felled by Monaco captain Denis Zakaria.
Finnish goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky dived the right way, but Cadiou placed his spot-kick into the corner, to hand Monaco their first league defeat of the season.
Stunning bicycle kick
Paris FC joined the leading quintet as Lassine Sinayoko's injury-time penalty gave them a 4-3 victory over Rennes, who dropped to fifth, a point behind the leading five, despite forward Esteban Lepaul's hat-trick of penalties.
Maxime Lopez twice gave the hosts the lead, only for Lepaul, who earned his first France cap in the recent international window, to equalise from the spot.
Lassine Sinayoko looked to have given PFC the victory 14 minutes from time with a stunning overhead bicycle kick, only for Brazilian substitute Otavio's clumsy handball to hand Lepaul the chance to level up a third time.
But Sinayoko had the last word, drilling home his penalty after VAR intervened to punish Valentin Rongier's shirt tug on the Mali forward.
Marseille picked up a much-needed win as they thumped Angers 5-2 to pull away from the relegation zone.
Lilian Raolisoa gave Angers the lead but Marseille replied with goals before half-time from Himad Abdelli and Nouhoum Kamissoko.
Amine Gouiri scored his fifth goal of the season for Marseille when he tucked home the rebound after his penalty was saved by Anthony Lopes.
Amine El Ouazzani struck from the spot to pull a goal back for Angers but late efforts from Amine Harit and Igor Paixao wrapped up just a third win in seven league matches for Marseille.
Bruno Genesio's side began the weekend above the relegation play-off spot only on goal difference, having also lost their first two games in the Europa League.
Winless Le Havre remain rooted to the foot of the table as Cameroon forward Danny Namaso's brace helped Auxerre come away from Normandy with a 3-1 victory and put daylight between themselves and the relegation zone.