Ajaccio, France – Ajaccio pulled further away from the relegation zone on Saturday, scoring twice in the final eight minutes to claim a 2-1 win over Montpellier at the Stade Francois Coty.
The home side was dealt a major blow in the 47th minute when Fousseni Diawara was sent off for denying a scoring opportunity, but Younes Belhanda missed the ensuing penalty to save Diawara's blushes.
Montpellier did eventually take the lead through Anthony Mounier in the 56th minute, but the visitors saw it evaporate in the 82nd minute when Abdel El Kaoutari was sent off for a poor challenge in the penalty area, which allowed Andy Delorte to equalize from the spot.
Ajaccio went on to take all three points in dramatic fashion as Dennis Oliech bagged the game-winner in the first minute of stoppage time. The win lifts the club to 38 points on the season, four points clear of the drop zone.
Marseille managed to close the gap on first-place PSG by picking up a 1-0 victory at Lorient on Saturday. Mathieu Valbuena recorded the lone goal of the contest, sending his side to 64 points to move within six points of the Parisians.
Rennes produced a pair of first-half goals at the Stade Francis-Le Ble on Saturday to earn a 2-0 defeat of Brest. Abdoulaye Doucoure opened the scoring in the 28th minute before Victor Hugo Montano doubled the advantage nine minutes later.
There were three 0-0 draws to round out Ligue 1 play on Saturday as Bordeaux was held scoreless at home by Reims, Bastia failed to produce a goal against Toulouse and Nancy played to an uneventful tie at Valenciennes.
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