France’s Ligue 1 cannot compare with England’s Premier League or Spain’s La Liga in terms of worldwide profile or star quality on the pitch but on Sunday Lyon and Marseille produced the sort of spectacular entertainment Chelsea v Manchester United just could not match.

I had not expected much from this match, which ended in a depressing goalless draw last season. Both teams had played in the Champions League earlier in the week – yes, there are French teams in that competition — and I suspected they would play conservatively, probably settling for draw.

If you look at my Predictions League ranking, you’ll see I’m not actually the bookies’ nemesis.

Lyon and Marseille did indeed draw, but not before scoring five goals each in probably the best Ligue 1 game since Marseille came back from four goals down to beat Montpellier 5-4 in the 1998-99 season.

Here is how it unfolded:

1-0 (3rd): Miralem Pjanic volleys home after a bad clearance by the Marseille defence

1-1 (11th): Souleymane Diawara heads home from a corner kick. The ball is deflected by Stephane M’Bia but the league hands the goal to Diawara.

2-1 (14th): Sidney Govou runs free in the Marseille half and beats Mandanda with a curling shot.

2-2 (44th): Benoît Cheyrou unleashes a 25-metre strike, Lloris fails to handle.

2-3 (47th): Ivory Coast striker Bakari Kone spins the ball past Lloris.

2-4 (80th): Brandao makes it four from close range

3-4 (81st): Lisandro Lopez flicks the ball past Mandanda after outpowering the Marseille defenders.

4-4 (84th): Lopez levels from the penalty spot after the referee stated Gabriel Heinze handed the ball in the box

5-4 (90th): Michel Bastos is set up by Pjanic and gives Lyon the edge

5-5 (90+3): Jeremy Toulalan inadvertently scores an own goal.

Classic drama, that prompts one question… How long has it been since you witnessed such a game in your league?

PHOTO: Olympique Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez (top) celebrates after scoring against Olympique Marseille during their French Ligue 1 soccer match at the Gerland stadium in Lyon, November 8, 2009. REUTERS/Robert Pratta

Sportspeople have been shifting nationalities to suit their careers for years, and most of it has been legal.

Controversies have occurred, however, with the latest incident again happening in French soccer.

The French League (LFP) has contacted the Italian authorities to investigate the legitimacy of the dual nationality passports held by Argentine players in Ligue 1, an LFP source has told Reuters.

Julien Pretot writes that the source said passports belonging to Bordeaux’s Fernando Cavenaghi and Diego Placente, Toulouse’s Mauro Cetto and Olympique Marseille’s Renato Civelli, who all have dual Italian nationality, were being looked at.

The paper work is obviously complex, but why do these issues generally arise after the event rather than when players initially sign?

PHOTO: Chelsea’s Jose Boswinga (R) challenges Bordeaux’s Diego Placente during their Champions League Group A match at Stamford Bridge Sept. 16, 2008. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

If you don’t mind the sight of St Etienne glued near the bottom of the Ligue 1 table, you did not grow up in France in the 1970s.

Everybody there then had two teams, their own and Les Verts (The Greens). Even today, many fans of other sides have a soft spot for the team from a small industrial town near Lyon.

Why? Simply because France, where football is not part of the popular culture, fell in love with the beautiful game courtesy of St Etienne’s European Cup saga in 1976.

An unglamorous outfit featuring players who had worked in the city’s factories, they went all the way to the final, losing to Bayern Munich in Glasgow. And many people will tell you they only lost because Hampden Park was the only place in the world at that time, apart from maybe some pitch in Kazakhstan, to still have square, wooden posts instead of round, metal ones.

The St Etienne players hit that archaic woodwork twice and the ball bounced off it. Had the posts been round, like at every civilised stadium outside Scotland, they would have gone in. No doubt.

That year, green fever was everywhere, with Les Verts’ stupid fan song playing on the radio all the time. But St Etienne are not just about that.

They have won a record 10 French titles, were graced by such great players as Michel Platini, Johnny Rep and Dominique Bathenay (don’ t say who?, he was my favourite). And the stadium, called Geoffroy-Guichard but only known as the Cauldron, was like no other place on earth. It could really burn in there.
 
Then came a financial scandal, spells in the second division and the rise of neighbours and arch-rivals Olympique Lyon, now the measure of all things in France, just to make matters worse.

Football has entered another era and moved away from its working-class roots, not to mention tight, shiny shirts and tiny shorts.

St Etienne today have two chairmen, who occasionally argue and have just posted a statement on the club’s website saying coach Laurent Roussey’s fate depends on the outcome of the side’s next two home matches.

“We’re not stupid and we can read,” midfielder Geoffrey Dernis told reporters. “We all know what’s going on and it’s not easy. The toughest part will be not being afraid when we enter the pitch.”

Once upon a time, Les Verts did not fear anyone in their Cauldron and their only feeling when playing there was pride.

PHOTO: Bafetimbi Gomis (C) of St Etienne celebrates with Geoffrey Dernis (L) and Blaise Matuidi (R) after scoring against Hapoel Tel Aviv during their UEFA Cup soccer match at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne Oct 2, 2008. REUTERS/Robert Pratta

A few weeks ago, Lyon looked dead set to clinch their seventh consecutive title.

That was until they were held at Nice at the weekend and second-placed Bordeaux managed a 2-1 win at Marseille. Their lead is now just two points.

Lyon next play Nancy and then visit Auxerre, while Bordeaux host Sochaux and travel to Lens in their final game. Four points would be enough to seal the title for Lyon, as they have a much better goal difference.

But what’s striking is how the all-conquering Lyon seem to have lost their confidence a bit, with president Jean-Michel Aulas claiming the whole world is against his team. He’s been complaining because they play a French Cup semi-final against Sedan on Wednesday. Poor chap, his team will only have three days to get ready for the Nancy game. What’s the problem?

On the other hand, Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc is staying really cool. After one of his youngsters, Pierre Ducasse, won the game with a stoppage time 25-metre strike at Marseille, he said the team which hold their nerve will ultimately prevail.

What do you think? Could we be set for an upset after all?

Julien Pretot, Paris