Liverpool striker Anthony Le Tallec has pleaded with Paris St Germain to end his Anfield nightmare.

Le Tallec has failed to make an impact at Liverpool, starting only 13 games since joining from Le Havre four seasons ago.

The 21-year-old has spent much of the last two seasons on loan at St Etienne and Sunderland.

He told L'Equipe: "I want to be transferred, change air, and PSG has always been the club of my heart."

Le Tallec has become increasingly frustrated at being loaned out and added: "I am fed up going everywhere.

"When you are loaned out without a view for a permanent move you know you won't be there anymore the following year.

"That's a weird feeling. I want to commit myself to a club that is ready to trust me for two or three years.

"If PSG make a good offer I will go but, for now, they are not the hottest opportunity.

"I want a good sporting challenge. If I don't find it I can stay with Liverpool where I have three years left on my contract."

Paris St Germain coach Guy Lacombe claims five-time French champions Lyon have made an "astronomical" offer to sign star striker Pedro Pauleta ahead of next season.

The 33-year-old - Portugal's record goalscorer - led the Ligue 1 charts with 21 goals this year and has been a key element at PSG since joining from Bordeaux in 2003.

Lyon have been looking to bolster their attack and have also set their sights on Liverpool's Djibril Cisse and Chelsea's Didier Drogba.

Lacombe admits he was completely taken aback by the offer for Pauleta but admits the player himself will have the final say over any transfer.

"We were not expecting that," Lacombe told French radio station RMC Infos.

"PSG want to keep Pedro but Lyon have made an astronomical offer. And in such a case, the player decides in the end.

"Pedro loves Paris enormously but despite the club and (president) Alain Cayzac's desire, he will be the one to make the final decision."

Lacombe claims PSG's chances of holding on to the Portugal striker are "50-50".

"It is necessary to understand a few things in this case," Lacombe said. "At his age, signing for Lyon - who are the greatest French club - with such a contract offer, is something he should not neglect.

"For now, he is in Paris and we will do all we can to keep him. But there is a 50-50 chance he might stay or go."

Lyon, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals where they were beaten by AC Milan, won a record fifth straight Ligue 1 title this season.

PSG endured a disappointing campaign in the league but defeated arch-rivals Marseille in the Coupe de France final, earning a UEFA Cup spot in the process.

Metz ended their miserable season on a high with victory over giants Paris St Germain.

The bottom-placed club have been destined for Ligue 2 for some time, but they at least bid farewell to the top flight in style, beating the Parisians when Szavbolcs Huszti snatched a last-minute winner.

Metz will not mind that it was largely a second-string PSG side as they look to take positives from a disappointing season.

Victory came as a reward for a strong second-half in which Metz belied the gulf between the two sides in the table.

The only decent opening in the first-half had gone to PSG, but they did not seriously threaten to take the lead.

It was in the seventh minute when Edouard Cisse had room to shoot inside the penalty area but could only send it straight at Metz goalkeeper Christophe Marichez.

Metz coach Joel Muller - delivering his final team-talk before moving upstairs to become technical director - seemed to find the right words at half-time and Metz dominated the second 45 minutes.

Only two minutes after the interval they had a strong case for a penalty when PSG defender David Rozenhal appeared to handle the ball in the area. However, their appeals were waved away as the referee ruled that the infringement was accidental.

Two minutes later Souleymane Youla had a good chance but his close-range shot from a tight angle was well saved by Jerome Alonzo in the PSG goal.

The game looked to be heading for a draw when Huszti's free-kick left Alonzo flat-footed and whistled into the net.

Lille will chase a ticket to the Champions League when they visit Stade Rennes in their final Ligue 1 match of the season on Saturday.  With a draw in Brittany, the northerners would make sure of holding on to third place to make the third qualifying round of European club soccer's showcase event. The top two in Ligue 1 qualify directly for the Champions League.

The fourth-placed side will join French Cup winners Paris St Germain and League Cup winners Nancy in the UEFA Cup.

The club that finishes fifth will stand a chance of making the UEFA Cup through the Intertoto Cup.

Olympique Lyon, who entertain Le Mans have already secured a record fifth consecutive title while Girondins Bordeaux, hosting Olympique Marseille, are certain to finish second.

Lille, surprise runners-up last season, are the favourites to finish third since crushing Lyon 4-0 last weekend.

That match stirred controversy, Lyon coach Gerard Houllier having made it easier for Lille by resting several first-choice players.

'My feeling is that we played a good match against a good Lyon side,' said Lille midfielder Mathieu Chalmé.

'Who's on the bench or on the pitch on the other side is not our problem. We had to win and we did. Now we need another good result and we're determined to get it.'

Marseille, in fourth place two points behind Lille, can finish third only if they beat Bordeaux and Lille lose at the same time.

'We want to play in Europe next season and to do that, we have to win in Bordeaux,' said Marseille striker Toifilou Maoulida.

Marseille have not won at Bordeaux since a 2-1 triumph in 1977. Marseille coach Jean Fernandez played in the Marseille team that day.

'Bordeaux were a strong team then already and we were delighted to have won, but we could not imagine that it would be our last win there for so long', Fernandez said.

'Now would be the right time to win there again.'

Rennes, in fifth place just one point below Marseille, can theoretically end up third, but their goal difference means all they can reasonably hope for is fourth place and a UEFA Cup spot.

Ajaccio, Racing Strasbourg and Metz will fill the last three spots whatever the outcome of their final matches and will all be relegated to Ligue 2.

With just one round of match to be played and occupying the fourth position in French Ligue 1, Super Eagles left-back Taye Taiwo, still exudes confidence of appearing in next year’ UEFA Champions League with Olympique Marseille as his team push for a third-place finish to get the ticket.

In a chat with media sources, the left-footed bomber stated, “Yes, we might be occupying the fourth position now but by our last game, we are very sure of moving to the third position. It is very possible and everybody is working towards this goal after we lost out in the League Cup.

“Even if we are playing away, we are going for the maximum points and there is no stopping us. We need the ticket to get back to where we belong.”

He described the League Cup loss to PSG as very painful for him, stressing, “In as much as I would love to forget that experience, it will continue to come to me. It was a painful loss. I really would have loved to win the cup but it was not meant to be. It is just how it was destined to be and I take it like that.”

Marseille with 59 points from 37 games will be taking on second-placed Bordeaux in an away game while third-placed Lille with 61 points from 37 games is also going away to fifth placed Rennes.

A win for Taye’ team and a loss for Osaze Odemwingie’s Lille, will actualize the dreams of the power-shooting Super Eagles left-back.

Relegated Ajaccio managed only their second away win of the season - and just their seventh in total - in an entertaining spectacle against Coupe de France holders Paris St Germain.

Goals from Mario Yepes and Pedro Pauleta had raised PSG hopes of a victory after they had conceded the lead to their opponents with Kamel Chafni's strike.

But Djamel Abnoun pulled the visitors level before Chafni and a late Mathieu Scarpelli effort earned Ajaccio a consolatory three points in what has been a difficult campaign for the Corsicans.

PSG made a promising start to the game with Bonaventure Kalou denied by a good save from Ajaccio goalkeeper Stephane Trevisan.

The hosts were then left further frustrated when a drive from Pauleta came back off the post.

And it proved costly as Ajaccio promptly went down the other end and scored, Romain Rocchi's 19th-minute corner causing panic in the PSG defence and allowing Chafni a simple tap-in.

Another agile stop from Trevisan thwarted Pauleta's attempts at an equaliser but there was little the custodian could do when the first PSG goal finally arrived on the half-hour mark.

A free-kick from Jerome Rothen was struck goalwards by Yepes,

taking a deflection off Ajaccio defender Xavier Collin and wrong-footing Trevisan.

PSG then took the lead for the first time after 53 minutes when Edouard Cisse split the Ajaccio back-line with a pass which which was slammed home by Pauleta.

But the celebrations were short-lived with the visitors back on level terms just six minutes later thanks to Abnoun's first goal for the club.

Just two minutes after that the PSG defence was breached again when a long ball forward was headed on by Rocchi and finished by Chafni.

Guy Lacombe's men battled hard for a point but their drives forward left holes at the back.

And they were made to pay with a minute left when a quick counter-attack allowed Scarpelli to fire home Rocchi's neat cross.

Paris St Germain head coach Guy Lacombe admits his team will be playing for pleasure only when they welcome relegated Ajaccio this weekend.

The game is the last match of the season at the Parc des Princes for the side who won the Coupe de France last weekend at the Stade de France.

With their tickets to the UEFA Cup aleady in their pockets, PSG drew 1-1 with Rennes in midweek as they cruise towards the conclusion of the campain.

"This match will just be pure pleasure for us as the French cup trophy will be presented to the crowd after the game," said Lacombe.

"We are not expecting anything more from the championship and that's the same for Ajaccio, who are relegated.

"However, I think the Corsicans will try to perform well at the Parc."

Lacombe believes his players must maintain the togetherness which earned them glory in the French cup if they are to finish another disappointing league campaign in style.

"The players are now happy together and they are going to keep sharing that spirit," Lacombe said.

"Our prime motivation will remain to share things together the same way we did at the end of this season. We also want to please our crowd and that's what we'll do."

On the injury front, Lacombe will be without midfielder Christophe Landrin (thigh) and defender Stephane Pichot (thigh), while Lionel Letizi will start the match in place of Jerome Alonzo in goal.

For Ajaccio, who have won only six matches this season, defender Xavier Collin is already looking ahead to next year.

"We must bounce back and prepare next season," he said.

"I don't think it will be an easy campaign. The other challenge will be to recover from the psychological trauma caused by relegation."

Coach Jose Pasqualetti has no fresh injuries to contend with ahead of the trip to the capital.

Paris St Germain's faint Champions League hopes are all but over despite substitute Bonaventure Kalou's last-gasp equaliser at Rennes, whose own hopes suffered a blow.

Midfielder Kim Kallstrom's 71st-minute penalty put the hosts ahead but they needed maximum points to overhaul Lille in third place.

Kallstrom had the first chance for his home side when he fired in a powerful shot from 20 metres but the ball was deflected by the visitors' David Rozenhal.

Eleven minutes later Olivier Monterrubio's free-kick was cleared by the Parisian wall before the Brittany-based club's captain launched an attack four minutes later when his shot was stopped by goalkeeper Jerome Alonzo.

The hosts continued pressing, with John Utaka at the centre of a great move 26 minutes in.

The striker waltzed past three Parisien defenders before unleashing his shot which was well saved by Alonzo.

The PSG goalkeeper was again called into action to stop Monterrubio's dangerous effort.

Alonzo was on hand again after the interval, saving a shot from Utaka, while at the other end PSG were awarded a free-kick for Stephane M'Bia's foul on Carlos Bueno but they were unable to take advantage of the situation.

Coach Guy Lacombe decided to spice up his front line by throwing on Pedro Pauleta and Kalou but both failed to live up expectations as Rennes maintained their stranglehold.

Both Utaka and M'Bia had shots which Alonzo repelled before the deadlock was eventually broken when Kallstrom netted from the spot following a foul from three PSG defenders on Rennes' Yoann Gourcuff.

Rennes' pace dropped off a little as PSG began to ease their way into the match.

Pauleta's shot was kept out by Andreas Isaksson but Kalou eventually levelled as Rennes were made to pay for their lacklustre finish.

Paris St Germain scored at the beginning of each half to claim a deserved 2-1 win over Marseille in the French Cup final on Saturday.

Bonaventure Kalou, who scored the winner for Auxerre in their Cup triumph last season, opened the score after six minutes and Vikash Dhorasso lashed in a second on 49 minutes.

Toifilou Maoulida pulled one back for Marseille on 67 minutes but Paris could easily have won by two or three goals in lifting its seventh French Cup.

Matches between these two sides usually cause trouble and riot police used CS gas to disperse fighting fans before the match, but there was no trouble inside the 80,000-capacity Stade de France.

Kalou hit the bar in the second half and Edouard Cisse forced Marseille keeper Fabien Barthez to a full-length save before Jerome Rothen curled a free-kick desperately close.

Kalou blasted in an unstoppable shot to open the score after Taye Taiwo first beat Cisse to the ball and then allowed the Parisian midfielder to win the ball back in the tackle. The ball broke free in the penalty area to Kalou, who hit a screamer under the Marseille bar.

Dhorasso, without a goal all season, chose the perfect moment to open his account when he strode forward as the Marseille defence retreated to unleash a 20-metre shot beyond a diving Barthez.

Bernard Mendy saved Paris in the first half when he threw himself in front of Mickael Pagis as he was about to shoot, but Marseille rarely looked like scoring.

Marseille, who have won the Cup 10 times, last picked up a trophy in 1993 when they beat AC Milan in the Champions League Final. They lost UEFA Cup finals in 1999 and 2004.

In a League One championship match Saturday, Lens moved to fourth, two points behind Lille, when they beat their northern neighbours 4-2 in a battle for third place in the league and a place in next season's Champions League.

Champions Lyon will be looking to reach a record 80 points at home to St Etienne in a traditionally fierce derby on Sunday.

Valenciennes, relegated in 1993 after the Marseille match-fixing scandal, returned to the first division by beating Sedan 3-0 on Saturday.

Valenciennes was wound up in 1996 when they dropped out of the league, but have been promoted from two divisions in successive seasons.

Paris and Marseille play again next Wednesday. Marseille have a chance to shake off their Cup woes when they travel to fifth-placed Auxerre, where a win would put Marseille fourth.

Paris are at Rennes who can claim third place with a win.

Olympique Marseille have the chance to reward their long-suffering fans with their first silverware in 13 years when they face arch-rivals Paris St Germain  in the French Cup final on Saturday.

Marseille, who enjoyed the last of their record 10 Cup wins back in 1989, have not put their hands on any trophies since their 1993 Champions League triumph.

'Our fans have been waiting for a title for a long time and now we have a chance to offer them one,' said Marseille coach Jean Fernandez.

Matches between the sides from France's two largest cities are always regarded as high risk and have become increasingly tense in recent years.

More than 2,000 police will be deployed around the Stade de France for the game between the two bitter foes, who have never met each other in a title match.

'We're preparing for this as for any other game and we're careful to avoid unwanted pressure,' said PSG coach Guy Lacombe.

'This is a football match and the focus must be on football'.

A Marseille supporter was paralysed after being hit by a seat thrown by PSG hooligans during a game between the two sides at Parc des Princes in 2002.

The last meeting between the two clubs, in March, resulted in a French Football Federation (FFF) ethics commission hearing because Marseille fielded a B team and asked their supporters not to travel to the match in Paris, citing security fears.

Around 20,000 Marseille fans are expected for the game and have queued up for hours to collect their tickets.

Marseille are on a great run, having knocked out Olympique Lyon in the Cup quarter-finals before thrashing Nancy 6-0 in Ligue 1 and beating Rennes 3-0 in the Cup semi-finals.

The southerners lie fifth in the Ligue 1 standings, three spots above PSG, and both clubs need to lift the Cup, whose winners qualify for the UEFA Cup, to make sure of playing in Europe next season.

'Marseille are on form and they're above us in the standings, which means they're the favourites and it will take a great performance to beat them,' Lacombe told reporters.

The danger for Marseille is likely to come from Portugal striker Pedro Pauleta, the PSG captain, who has scored 20 league goals this season.

Marseille's main trump card is midfielder Franck Ribery. Both a fighter and an artist, the 23-year-old is arguably the finest player in Ligue 1 and is being hailed as the new Zinedine Zidane.

Several players have said that Saturday's final, which will be played before a sell-out 80,000 crowd, should be approached simply as a potentially exciting football match.

'It's going to be a dream final against Marseille,' said PSG midfielder Edouard Cisse. 'It's going to be the match everybody wants to see.'

Olympique Marseille crushed Stade Rennes 3-0 at home on Thursday to set up a French Cup final against arch-rivals Paris St Germain  at the Stade de France.

The Parisians, inspired by captain Pedro Pauleta, who scored a goal and set up another, beat Nantes 2-1 away.

The final on April 29 will be Marseille's first for 15 years since losing to Monaco in 1991, while it will be the sixth for PSG since 1993.

"We wanted to go to the Stade de France because we have been waiting for this for a long time," Marseille coach Jean Fernandez said."

The last meeting between the two clubs -- in March -- resulted in a French Football Federation (FFF) ethics commission hearing because Marseille fielded a B team and asked their supporters not to travel to the match in Paris citing security fears.

"It's going to be a dream final against Marseille," said Paris midfielder Edouard Cisse. "It's going to be the match everybody wants to see."

Marseille produced their best performance of the season to settle the tie at their Stade Velodrome in the first 45 minutes.

Midfielder Franck Ribery, tipped by many to earn a place in France's World Cup squad, grabbed the first goal after just 17 seconds, scoring with a composed lob after a blunder from central defender Gregory Bourillon.

Nigerian defender Taye Taiwo blasted home a free-kick for the second goal on 18 minutes and Mamadou Niang added a third on the stroke of halftime.

"I'm really happy with my performance today," said Ribery, given a standing ovation after his substitution 10 minutes from time.

"Now we hope we can win this Cup again and I hope there are still more games to come for me this season. I would be very disappointed not to go to Germany with the national squad."

An injury doubt for PSG before the match, Ligue 1's leading scorer Pauleta recovered in time to start at Nantes.

The Portuguese set up striker Fabrice Pancrate in the 68th before sealing the game with a crossed shot four minutes from time after Nantes pulled one back through defender Mauro Cetto.

"He (Pauleta) said he felt better when we arrived here," PSG coach Guy Lacombe said. "So I decided to give him a try and he was great."

"I'm really proud of what we did tonight. We fully deserved to win," he added.

An 89th-minute penalty from Ferrerya Jussiei gave Lens a last-gasp draw against Paris St Germain and helped them keep the pressure on UEFA Cup rivals Rennes.

The hosts were heading for defeat after Bonaventure Kalou had fired PSG into the lead but Jussiei kept a cool head to seal a result that leaves Lens just one point behind fourth place and the final European spot.

The game started at a brisk pace and after seven minutes a free-kick from Yoann Lachor caused problems in the PSG defence.

The ball was not cleared when it arrived in the box and Alou Diarra was allowed room to line up a volley but he sent the ball wide of the post.

PSG hit back swiftly and fashioned a chance for Kalou who, like Diarra, failed to make the keeper work.

After 24 minutes Lens created - and spurned - another good chance after tidy work down the left flank from Lachor and Eric Carriere.

After a neat one-two Lachor found Daniel Cousin at the far post but the striker could not control his volley and missed the target.

The match slowed to a crawl as the half wore on but at the start of the second both sides again looked to find the all-important opener.

Just two minutes after the restart Charles Itandje pulled off a sensational stop in the Lens goal after Edouard Cisse's header had looked good enough to break the deadlock.

Cisse was again denied five minutes later when Itandje parried his firmly hit volley away from danger.

Both sides continued to press but it was not until the 78th minute that the Lens line was breached. Cesar broke quickly for the visitors before finding the lively Kalou on the right.

Kalou took the ball forward, found room and drilled beyond Itandje to give PSG the advantage.

Lachor came close to levelling the scores seven minutes from time but his audacious free-kick cannoned off the crossbar from long-range.

The home crowd did not have long to wait and when Mario Yepes was sent off for a professional foul on Aruna Dindane in the PSG box all that was left was for Jussiei to slot the ball home from the penalty spot.

Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille were docked one point each by a French soccer ethics panel after a clash over ticketing arrangements.

The presidents of each team were also suspended for three months.

A dispute over the number of tickets available to Marseille fans on March 5 led to Marseilles fielding a reserve team.

Pedro Pauleta returned to haunt his former club by scoring a hat-trick as Paris St Germain virtually ended Bordeaux's slim hopes of hauling in runaway leaders Lyon at the top of Ligue 1.

Pauleta, Portugal's all-time leading goalscorer, also heads the scoring charts in France's top flight this term and he made it 20 for the season by netting three times - including one from the penalty spot - in the opening 44 minutes.

Bordeaux's Edixon Perea had made it 1-1 in the 22nd minute but the visitors could not find a way back into the match after the break and they now find themselves 12 points adrift of Lyon with just six games remaining in the league.

As for PSG, the victory - only their second in 11 games - puts them within two points of Auxerre, who occupy Ligue 1's final European place.

Pauleta was twice voted player of the year in France during his successful stay at Bordeaux but any sentiment was left in the dressing room as he immediately set about tormenting his former employers.

He opened the scoring in the seventh minute when he headed Bernard Mendy's telling cross beyond the reach of Bordeaux goalkeeper Ulrich Rame.

But Perea restored parity 15 minutes later by meeting Antonio Mavuba's deep cross with interest from the left side of the penalty area.

After seeing his team-mate Paulo Cesar shoot just wide, Pauleta doubled his tally for the evening in the 37th minute by rolling home a penalty after the striker himself had been brought down in the area by Marc Planus.

And he completed his hat-trick just before the break by getting on the end of a Jerome Rothen centre to nod home.

That may have been the end of the scoring but it certainly was not the end of the chances.

Pauleta almost claimed a fourth but his 55th-minute shot flew just over the bar while Edouard Cisse and Cesar wasted further openings for PSG.

Bruno Cheyrou had Bordeaux's only opportunity in the second half but his well-struck effort from 30 yards in the 69th minute was beaten away by PSG goalkeeper Lionel Letizi.

left knee injury could keep Italy forward Christian Vieri out of the World Cup, according to reports Tuesday.

Vieri was injured playing for Monaco in the French league Sunday and underwent medical tests in Italy on Tuesday, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Vieri moved from AC Milan to Monaco in January to gain more playing time, with the aim of making Italy's World Cup roster.

On Feb. 28, Vieri hurt his left ankle while training with Italy and missed the Azzurri's friendly with Germany the next day.

On Sunday, he returned to Monaco's starting lineup but was replaced in the eighth minute after a hard tackle by Paris Saint-Germain's Bernard Mendy.

If Vieri does not return in time for the June 9-July 9 World Cup, Italy coach Marcello Lippi could recall in-form Filippo Inzaghi or Antonio Cassano, who has rarely played lately for Real Madrid.

Playmaker Francesco Totti's recovery from surgery on his left leg is on schedule and he is expected to be fit for the tournament in Germany.

Fourth division amateurs Lyon-La Duchere failed to relive their giant-killing exploits against Toulouse and Strasbourg earlier in the competition as they fell 3-0 to the Parisians on front of thousands of home fans. 

Pauleta came off the bench 15 minutes from time to net a double after Carlos Bueno had put the visitors ahead in the first half. 

The match was hosted in the Gerland stadium of four-time French champions Lyon rather than Lyon-La Duchere’s own home ground on the recommendation of police who feared crowd trouble from the visiting PSG fans. 

In the end, barely a hundred Paris supporters made the trip, and they were lost in the visitors’ stands faced with the boisterous home support. 

The Parisians, struggling just ninth in the league table with their last win back on Feb 1 against Auxerre, started off tentatively as their hosts missed an early chance to put their names on the scoreboard after just six minutes following a Sabeur Cherif corner. 

Lyon goalie Brice Morandini did well to save a Fabrice Pancrate effort alone on front of goal after 28 minutes, but a corner from Cristian Rodriguez a minute later allowed fellow Uruguayan Bueno to open for PSG. 

PSG gained in confidence in the second half with Pauleta coming off the bench after 72 minutes in place of Bueno. 

And just over a minute later he finished off a Pancrate effort into an empty goal, with his second effort finding the net barely another two minutes later.