MARSEILLE CLOSES IN ON TITLE

By NBF NEWS

NIGERIA'S Taye Taiwo's club Marseille will be looking to close down the French Ligue 1 title race when they travel to Sochaux on Wednesday as Bordeaux bid to put their poor form behind them against struggling Le Mans.

A week after pounding Sochaux 3-0 at the Stade Velodrome and three days after punishing Nice 4-1, Marseille are looking for three points that would take them closer to their ninth league title and first since 1992.

Marseille have a two-point lead on second-placed Auxerre with six games left and a victory in Wednesday's delayed game would give Didier Deschamps's side a five-point advantage over their title rivals.

But Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda warned his team-mates against getting carried away by their recent successes.

'The aim at the start (of the season) was the Champions League. Today we're well placed to achieve this objective if not more but we can't say that it's already done, far from that,' said Mandanda.

'We mustn't get carried away. If we could be champions we're not going to say no. We're remaining clear headed, we're continuing to work.'

Sochaux, in 15th place, have injury worries and will be without the services of midfielder Stephane Dalmat, striker Vaclav Sverkos and goalkeeper Teddy Richert, with defender Jeremie Brechet uncertain with an ankle injury.