Ligue 1: Marseille ends winless streak with victory over Bordeaux

Olympique de Marseille ended a four-match winless streak when it beat Girondins de Bordeaux 3-1 to move up to fifth in Ligue 1.

Jordan Amavi celebrates with team-mates after an own goal from Bordeaux's Pablo. - REUTERS

Olympique de Marseille ended a four-match winless streak when it beat Girondins de Bordeaux 3-1 to move up to fifth in Ligue 1 with its first home win of the season on Saturday.

Florian Thauvin, Jordan Amavi and a Pablo own goal won the points and put OM on 12 from seven games, three off pacesetter Paris St Germain which won 4-0 at 10-man Nimes on Friday.

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Bordeaux, which reduced the arrears through Josh Maja late on, is 10th on nine points after new signing Hatem Ben Arfa failed to make an impact on his debut for his sixth French club.

Marseille had drawn three and lost one since beating PSG at the Parc des Princes on September 13 and Saturday’s result is a welcome confidence boost ahead of the trip to Olympiakos Piraeus in its Champions League opener on Wednesday.

Penalty saved

At the Stade Velodrome, Thauvin opened the scoring for Marseille with a splendid 25-metre strike into the top corner in the fifth minute. However, the winger missed a chance of doubling the tally nine minutes later when Benoit Costil parried his penalty after Jordan Amavi was brought down by Youssouf Sabaly.

Costil has now saved 16 of 53 penalties since the 2011-12 season, more than any other keeper in the top five European leagues.

Amavi doubled the OM tally nine minutes into the second half when he headed home Thauvin’s free kick.

The full back’s cross was then deflected by Bordeaux’s Pablo into his own net in the 64th before Josh Maja pulled one back for the visitor six minutes from time.

Lille, which has 14 points, hosts neighbour RC Lens, with 13, on Sunday and if one of them wins the derby of the North it would move top, while a draw would leave PSG in pole position.

Stade Rennes is in second spot, level on 15 points with PSG after being held to a 1-1 draw at bottom club Dijon on Friday.