Lorient holds Marseille to a 1-1 draw in France

Marseille dropped two valuable points in the French title race on Sunday when it was held to a 1-1 draw by Lorient.

Following an impressive 3-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain last week, Marseille's draw meant it remained fourth with 49 points from 26 games.

League leader Bordeaux was playing second-place Montpellier in a much anticipated showdown later Sunday. Both teams have 51 points and defending champion Bordeaux, which has two games in hand, tops the league thanks to a better goal difference.

Marseille had a first chance in the 15th minute when playmaker Lucho Gonzalez picked out Mamadou Niang, only to see the Senegal striker missing the target …