Caen climbs to 2nd in French league
PARIS (AP) - Defender Damien Da Silva scored twice as surprise package Caen climbed to second place in the French league with a 4-1 rout of Bordeaux on Sunday.
Another defender scored another brace in Sunday's late game, with Monaco right-back Almamy Toure finding the net twice in a 3-3 draw at Marseille.
Off to its best start ever in the first division, Caen made the most of Lyon's 4-2 home loss to Montpellier on Friday to move two points clear off third-place Angers.
Facing little competition this season on the domestic scene, Paris Saint-Germain has already built a 13-point lead after 15 rounds.
Caen exposed Bordeaux's defensive frailties from the start, with defender Syam Ben Youssef putting the visitors ahead from the rebound following Ronny Rodelin's volley in the 6th minute.
Da Silva then scored twice in the space of four minutes - 57th and 61st - before Andy Delort made it 4-0 on the counterattack.
Some dejected Bordeaux fans left the stadium after Gabonese midfielder Andre Biyogo Poko was sent off for a second yellow card in the 80th and missed seeing Enzo Crivelli pull one back for the hosts in the 90th.
In Marseille, Monaco defender Fabio Coentrao - on loan from Real Madrid - gave the visitors a 3-2 lead with a header past goalkeeper Steve Mandanda but Georges-Kevin Nkoudou leveled with eight minutes left to play, connecting with a fluffed shot from Lucas Ocampos at the far post.
Romain Alessandrini had put the hosts in front after a scramble in the box and Michy Batshuayi canceled Toure's goals.
Monaco is seventh with 24 points, five more than Marseille.
Earlier, Saint-Etienne carried its European form into the domestic league with a 3-0 win over Guingamp and moved level on points with fourth-place Lyon.
After a tense first half marred by fouls from both sides, Romain Hamouma opened the scoring in the 52nd with a clean finish although Neal Maupay was in an offside position at the start of the move.
Valentin Eysseric sealed Saint-Etienne's first league win in three games three minutes from time from the penalty spot and Nolan Roux added one in injury time.
Saint-Etienne, which advanced to the knockout phase of the Europa League midweek with a 1-1 draw at Rosenborg, has 25 points but a worse goal difference than bitter rival Lyon.
"We struggled in the first half because it was difficult to find space in Guingamp's well-organized defensive lines," Eysseric said. "It was easier after we scored our first goal."
Saint-Etienne finished with 10 men after Moustapha Sall was sent off for a second yellow card two minutes from time for elbowing a Guingamp player in the face.
Guingamp missed two chances to take the lead in the first half through Marcus Coco and Jimmy Briand, who also wasted a good opportunity to level following Hamouma's opener when he fluffed a shot from Pierre-Yves Polomat's fine cut-back pass in the 78th.
"We should have scored first," said Guingamp midfielder Nicolas Benezet. "Then they caught us on the break and were clinical."
Hamouma slotted home into an open goal and was decisive again in the 87th when he outpaced Guingamp defenders only to be fouled in the box by Dorian Leveque. Eysseric sent Lossl the wrong way to make it 2-0 before Roux concluded a fast collective move from Eysseric's assist.
Sloan Privat could have pulled one back in the next minute but his effort from close range was denied by Stephane Ruffier's brilliant reflex save on his line.