Lille clinch Champions League slot

By Ron Wall May 13, 2006, 23:16 GMT

Paris - Lille clinched the final French slot in next season's UEFA Champions League by drawing 2-2 at Rennes on Saturday, beating out Marseille, whose 10 men were held to a 1-1 draw at Bordeaux.

Marseille needed a victory at Bordeaux - already assured of a Champions League spot - and to see Rennes win in order to qualify ahead of Lille.

It was the last game with Marseille for France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who has yet to say where he will be playing next season.

Lens, who finish fourth in the league, qualified for the UEFA Cup alongside Cup winners Paris St Germain and League Cup winners Nancy.

Marseille fell to fifth place and qualify for the Intertoto Cup.

Ajaccio, Strasbourg and Metz are relegated and will be replaced by Valenciennes, Sedan and Lorient from the second division.

Nicolas Fauvergue and Mathieu Bodmer equalized for Lille against Rennes, who themselves just missed out on a European spot when a shot crashed off the post in the game's dying minutes.

Marseille's situation looked hopeless after Franck Ribeiry missed a first half penalty and Abdoulaye Meite was sent off in the second half. But Toifilou Maoulida snatched what looked like the winner for Marseille, only for Brazilian striker Fernando to dash their hopes with a late equalizer.

League champions Lyon finished on a high note, running up their biggest win of the season with Brazilian striker Fred scoring a hat- trick, in an 8-1 win over Le Mans.