In the day's second match, seven-time champions Lyon bounced back from their midweek Champions League defeat to brush aside struggling Toulouse 3-0 at the Stade Gerland.

Nantes climbed to eighth in the table, thanks to their fifth win in ten matches with goals from Moroccan Yacine Bammou on 23 minutes and from Frenchman Adrien Thomasson on the hour mark.

"We were so out of sorts in the first half that the defeat is no surprise," said Caen coach Patrice Garande.

"We didn't do what we had to do to win. In the past we won matches because we had the right attitude but we didn't start that way tonight.

"It wasn't a case of letting go or falling apart, the fact of the matter is that we just weren't good enough."

Caen remain in third on 21 points, behind promoted Angers on goal difference.

At Lyon, Hubert Fournier's men put behind them a bitter 3-1 European defeat at Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday to move up to fourth with a comfortable win over fourth-from-bottom Toulouse.

Sergi Darder grabbed an 18th minute opener before French international Mathieu Valbuena showed his class with a clinical finish 20 minutes from time.

Maxwell Cornet then put the finishing touches on a fine evening's work when he blasted home Lyon's third goal deep into injury time.

Leaders Paris Saint-Germain are five points clear at the top with eight wins and two draws in ten outings.

Angers are at home to Guingamp on Saturday while PSG host Saint-Etienne at the Parc des Princes in the final match of the weekend 24 hours later.

Y. Bammou

Achievements