Marseille Euro hopes hit

Marseille face missing out on Europa League football next season after being held 1-1 at Bordeaux.

Marseille face missing out on Europa League football next season as Cheick Diabate's second-half equaliser for Bordeaux kept them sixth in Ligue 1. Benoit Cheyrou had put Marseille in front after a little over half an hour and, with Lyon losing to Lorient, that meant they were on course to nip into fifth. But Cheyrou's goal made it 1-1 to keep Marseille behind Lyon - whatever happened at the Stade de Gerland. Marseille's leading marksman Andre-Pierre Gignac almost got Marseille off to the perfect start in the eighth minute, racing through on goal from the left wing but disappointingly seeing his shot go over the bar. The Frenchman, who has spoken this week about the fact he does not believe he will be going to the World Cup despite scoring 16 Ligue 1 goals, seized on a mistake by Julien Faubert to run clear but was unable to make it count. Cedric Carrasso pulled off a superb save on the half-hour mark to block Florian Thauvin's ferocious volley on the near post after being put in by Cheyrou. A minute later Cheyrou himself got the breakthrough for the visitors needed to give them a chance of snatching the last Europa League spot. He latched on to Brice Dja Djedje's cross and Carrasso was unable to prevent his header from hitting the net. Just before half-time Marseille almost doubled their advantage but Andre Ayew headed just wide after good work from Thauvin on the counter-attack. Diabate fired a warning shot across the bows just before the hour mark, forcing Steve Mandanda to tip out for a corner after he shot from the edge of the area. Four minutes later he got his goal, rising above Nicolas Nkoulou to head home from Diego Rolan's cross. Carrasso was at full stretch to deny Thauvin from long-range in the 69th minute as Marseille probed for a winner but the hosts stood firm to leave OM sweating on their place in Europe next year.