Marseille settles for 8-goal draw

PARIS: Marseille let slip a 3-1 lead at Rennes to draw 4-4 in a topsy turvy match on the opening day of the 2008-2009 French soccer championship on Saturday night.

Eric Gerets' high-profile club looked set fair for victory with their two-goal lead at the interval, and briefly went ahead 4-3 in injury time, but Rennes' Bruno Cheyrou found the net in the fourth minute of time added on to level the match.

Paris Saint Germain, who won the League Cup last season yet spent the season fighting relegation, lost 1-0 at Monaco to a Frederic Nimano goal 11 minutes from time.