TEAMtalk : Paris Saint-Germain head into the winter break as Ligue 1 leaders after taking advantage of Montpellier’s slip at Evian.
PSG came away from St Etienne with a 1-0 win courtesy of Mathieu Bodmer’s 32nd-minute goal, which deflected in off ASSE goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier, moving to 40 points in the process.
But Montpellier, who would have reached the same total with a better goal difference had they won, fell to a surprise 4-2 reverse at Evian.
Rene Girard’s side had looked on course for victory, in the final game before the three-week hiatus, after Ligue 1’s leading goalscorer Olivier Giroud and Younes Belhanda struck either side of Cedric Barbosa’s equaliser.
But after Saber Khelifa equalised again, Evian stormed back to claim a fourth successive home win with goals from Cedric Cambon and Brice Djadjedje.
Third-place Lille were also pegged back, drawing 4-4 against Nice as Francois Clerc’s injury-time leveller ended a thrilling contest at Stade Metropole.
The champions were on course for all three points after goals from Aurelien Chedjou, Joe Cole, Eden Hazard and Florent Balmont had them 4-3 ahead entering stoppage time, but Clerc popped up in the dying seconds to grab an equaliser that means Nice will spend the festive period above the drop zone.