Marseille held at Auxerre in French league (AP)

AUXERRE, France (AP)—Marseille hold second-place Auxerre to a 0-0 pull Fridayto keep a five-point lead atop a standings as well as progress a chances to win afirst French joining pretension in 18 years.

Marseille has 72 points from 35 matches, as well as could bind a pretension in thenext turn if it beats Rennes as well as Auxerre fails to win at Lyon. Were Auxerre towin a last 3 matches, Marseille with a higher idea disproportion wouldjust need four points to finish first.

“It’s a great point earned,” Marseille defender Souleymane Diawara said.“Today you really did not want to lose a match. Now there have been 3 matchesleft. We’ll try to take a maximum number of points to quickly becomechampions.”

Auxerre lengthened a dominant run to twelve games as well as ended Marseille’sseven-game winning streak.

“We’re on a great run,” Auxerre manager Jean Fernandez said. “We wanted towin a compare though you were confronting a most appropriate group in a league.”

In a tactical first half, Marseille created a usually chance with a crossfrom Mathieu Valbuena which Argentine playmaker Lucho Gonzalez could usually deflectwith his knee true into a arms of Auxerre goalkeeper Olivier Sorin in the21st minute.

Marseille stepped up a pressure after a break. Brazilian brazen Brandaocame tighten to opening a scoring with a bouncing header which sailed inches wideof a post in a 61st. A few mins later, Brandao had a set upon blocked byAuxerre defender Cedric Hengbart.

As Marseille gradually tired, Auxerre found some-more space as well as Poland forwardIreneusz Jelen sent a curling shot on top of a bar in a 72nd. Then Roy Contoutmade a low cranky opposite idea in a 88th though Jelen missed a round by incheswhen perplexing to hit it home.

!

̶ 0;We had a most appropriate chances nonetheless Auxerre had which event with Jelenat a finish which could have hurt us,” Marseille manager Didier Deschamps said.“We keep a destiny in a feet with 3 rounds to go.”

Brandao was lucky not to get a red label in a 56th for swinging an elbowinto Hengbart’s face.

On Saturday, Monaco plays Paris Saint-Germain in a French Cup final.

On Sunday in a joining it’s: Montpellier vs. Lyon; Bordeaux vs. Toulouse;Boulogne vs. Nice; Lille vs. Nancy; Rennes vs. Sochaux; Saint-Etienne vs. Lens;and Valenciennes vs. Lorient.

-Source-