Lyon's seven-year grip on the Ligue 1 title loosened as Bordeaux moved above them into second place in the table.

France midfielder Alou Diarra forced home a deflected shot in the 43rd minute to deal his former club a hammer blow in their attempts to reel in Marseille, leaders now by two points from Bordeaux.

Lyon slip to third, four points off OM with six games left, and their home match with fourth-placed Paris St Germain on Friday now takes on added significance with their domestic dominance on the verge of ending.

Bordeaux, who claimed a fifth victory on the bounce, just about merited the three points from a riveting contest, although they were pushed all the way.

The visitors may have sensed things were not going to go their way tonight when they were denied what looked a clear penalty in the fifth minute, referee Stephane Bre waving play on after Ederson was crudely brought down by Mathieu Chalme.

By that time, Les Gones were taking the game to the home side as Karim Benzema scooped over one shot and then had a fierce effort saved.

Bordeaux woke from their torpor and dominated the final 20 minutes of the first half.

Souleymane Diawara volleyed over Benoit Tremoulinas' cross, Yoan Gouffran sent left-foot shots wide then over, while Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris breathed a sigh of relief when he spilled an elementary cross inches wide of his post.

Les Girondins probably deserved to take a lead into the break and their goal arrived when Wendel's speculative effort from the right struck a post and rebounded out to Diarra, whose shot deflected home off Jean-Alain Boumsong.

Bordeaux, content with preserving their slender lead, went into their shell in the second half but they defended superbly and did not give Lyon a sniff.

In a rare breakaway, a 25-yarder from Yoann Gourcuff drew a wonderful save out of Lloris and, from the resulting corner, Diarra headed over.

A rampaging 75th-minute run by Benzema ended with the striker sending a deft lob just over and six minutes later, Bordeaux frontman Marouane Chamakh crashed a header against the bar.

Lyon applied tremendous late pressure but Les Girondins, who lost Chalme to a head injury in the 86th minute, held on.