Podolski: I will stay with Cologne

German international forward Lukas Podolski said today that he will remain with Cologne next season, even though the club are yet to confirm their top-flight status.

"Being at Cologne does me good. It's my club, it's my town," Podolski told Bild am Sonntag.

"If it's just up to me, I'll still be here [next season]," added Podolski, who returned to his formative club in 2009 after three mixed seasons at Bayern Munich.

Cologne are currently 14th in the Bundesliga, six points above the relegation places with four games to play.

Despite his vow to stay put, Podolski called for the club to get their house in order, as they seek a replacement for coach Frank Schafer.

"At this club it's always a circus," said Podolski. "At Mainz, [Borussia] Dortmund and Hannover, there are no huge stars but there's a philosophy and everyone pulls in the same direction."

Asked where he would go if he left Cologne, Podolski said: "Without wanting to be arrogant, I could succeed at a big European club, in England or Spain."

Lille set back, PSG salvage draw

Lille seriously compromised their title hopes when a 1-1 draw at Lorient left the Ligue 1 leaders with just a two point lead on second-placed Marseille, who have a game in hand.

The leaders have taken just two points from their last three games, while Marseille are powering ahead and will be boosted by retaining the French League Cup title yesterday when they host mid-table Nice on Wednesday.

Largely dominated on the Brittany side's pitch, Lille were also hampered by the absence of injured midfielder Florent Balmont. Lille, nonetheless, opened the scoring two minutes before the break when Mathieu Debuchy picked up a cross from Senegalese international Moussa Sow, only for striker Kevin Gameiro to grab the equaliser with his 18th goal of the season after 68 minutes.

Lorient, now seventh, remain unbeaten since 12 February with Christian Gourcuff's men still hoping to grab a UEFA Europa League qualifying spot.

PSG take a point
Earlier Paris Saint-Germain lost ground in the title race when a 2-2 draw at Brest left the capital club seven points adrift of Lille.

PSG should have closed the gap to a more manageable five points, but after Mathieu Bodmer had given Antoine Kombouare's men a 20th-minute lead, fortune refused to smile on the visitors, who were ultimately fortunate to rescue a point.

In a frantic end to the opening period Brest, who have fallen away badly after a bright first half of the campaign, turned things around when Guinean Larsen Toure levelled in the 27th minute, before Bruno Grougi put them into the lead in first-half stoppage time.

By then, PSG had suffered the loss of veteran goalkeeper Gregory Coupet, who had to go off with a back injury. On came Apoula Edel, who promptly conceded by fouling Toure, but then saved a penalty.

Unfortunately for Edel, although he beat out Grougi's kick, Toure knocked in the rebound. Grougi had a smile back on his face after firing in the second following a Toure cross from the right.

Just as it seemed that PSG had nothing left to offer, they clawed their way back with three minutes left, Ahmed Kantari putting through his own net under pressure from the marauding Guillaume Hoarau.

The draw enabled Lyon to stay third ahead of PSG on goal difference ahead of their game against Montpellier on Wednesday.

Bordeaux surpass Saint-EtienneBordeaux thanked goals from Jaroslav Plasil and Cheikh Diabate to see off Saint-Etienne as the Girondins leapfrogged Les Verts into sixth place, though both have nine points to make up on Lyon and PSG and are unlikely to book UEFA Champions League slots.

At the wrong end of the table, Georgie Welcome netted within three minutes of coming on for Benjamin Bile to give Monaco a precious 1-0 win over Rennes, a now fading fifth and two points behind PSG.

"That's a real boost to win this one," said Monaco coach Laurent Banide. "It is encouraging, but we still have a long way to go. We know we now have a little room to manoeuvre, but it won't be easy to stay up".

The three points took Monaco not only out of the drop zone, but out of the bottom six after Auxerre and Lens parted with a 1-1 draw. That stalemate all but condemns Lens, neighbours of Lille and champions in 1998, but who are now six points behind a Caen side which occupies the third and last relegation slot.

Nancy, like Monaco, are two points better off than Caen after a goalless home draw with already relegated Arles, who have had just one win all season, while Caen did not help their cause after they could only draw 1-1 at home to Toulouse.

Lille stumble with draw at Lorient

Ligue 1 leaders Lille could only manage a 1-1 draw at Lorient this evening to hand the initiative to French League Cup champions Marseille in the Ligue 1 title race.

Mathieu Debuchy's strike against the run of play two minutes before half-time had looked set to give Lille a four-point cushion at the summit, with Marseille due to play their game in hand at home to Nice on Wednesday.

However, Kevin Gameiro equalised midway through the second half at the Stade du Moustoir to leave Rudi Garcia's side with just a two-point advantage, having picked up only two points from the last nine on offer.

The visitors created the first chance of the game, the excellent Fabien Audard keeping out Moussa Sow's low drive in the fifth minute, but from then on in the first half it was one-way traffic in the other direction.

Gameiro beat the Lille offside trap and fired against the post in the 12th minute with Mickael Landreau beaten, and the Lille goalkeeper got down well to block an Alaixys Romao blast two minutes later. Sigamary Diarra then swooped on a poor clearance by defender Adil Rami and quickly released Arnold Mvuemba, but again Landreau was in the way.

Debuchy deflected a fierce Gameiro attempt away for a corner midway through the half, with Landreau then saving a Morgan Amalfitano effort before punching clear with Gameiro in close attendance as the hosts continued to pepper their visitors' goal.

However, when the deadlock was finally broken it somehow came at the other end, Debuchy lashing an unstoppable volley into the roof of Audard's net from Sow's left-wing cross two minutes before the break.

Gameiro volleys Lorient levelLorient continued undeterred after the interval, Diarra releasing Gameiro with a long ball only for the striker to direct his low shot too close to Landreau. The richly-deserved equaliser arrived in the 69th minute, Amalfitano's header teeing up Gameiro at the near post and his superb volley gave Landreau no chance.

That seemed to spur Lille into action, and it was they who created the better chances to dominate in the final quarter. Substitute Pierre-Alain Frau freed Gervinho, but the Ivorian forward's control let him down with only Audard to beat and the Lorient keeper swooped on the ball.

Frau then tried his luck with a right-footed volley two minutes from time, but again Audard was equal to it as he made sure the hosts picked up a point they more than merited.

Bordeaux extend Saint-Etienne's woes

Goals from Jaroslav Plasil and Cheick Diabate gave Bordeaux a 2-0 win, which moved them above their opponents, Saint-Etienne, and into sixth place in Ligue 1.

The home side went ahead through Plasil after 14 minutes and Diabate struck a late second to sink a Saint-Etienne side whose European challenge has been hit by a run of just two wins in ten games at a crucial stage of the season.

The visitors started promisingly and almost took the lead after seven minutes as Sylvain Marchal's cross directed towards goal by Emmanuel Riviere went narrowly over Cedric Carrasso's bar. Bordeaux responded five minutes later with Alou Diarra freeing Anthony Modeste and his shot producing a fine save from Saint-Etienne keeper Jeremie Janot.

Plasil broke the deadlock with the next attack, tapping in after Janot could only parry Modeste's powerful shot. Modeste's long-range shooting was proving to be a highlight of the opening period and another 25-yard effort drew a fantastic save from Janot, who managed to claw the ball to safety as it arrowed towards the top corner.

The Saint-Etienne keeper excelled himself once more before the break with a fine save to keep out a Diarra effort. Riviere had another chance nine minutes into the second half, his header having been picked out by Blaise Matuidi was hacked off the line by Fernando with Carrasso beaten.

The visitors threatened again midway through the second half and again it was Riviere who was denied as his header came back off the bar.

Bordeaux, having ridden their luck, began to exert pressure as the game went on and substitute Evan Chevalier saw an effort kept out by Janot before the hosts grabbed their second with three minutes to go. Diarra released Diabate and he beat Marchal before firing past Janot.

Point keeps PSG in pursuit

Guillaume Hoarau's deflected late equaliser at Brest this afternoon earned fourth-placed Paris Saint-Germain a 2-2 draw and what could prove a vital Ligue 1 point in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

Mathieu Bodmer had given the visitors a 20th-minute lead at the Stade Francis Le Ble, but the mid-table hosts turned the game on its head before the break through goals from Larsen Toure - following up from Bruno Grougi's saved penalty - and Grougi.

However, Hoarau's header - which went in via Ahmed Kantari - levelled matters three minutes from time to keep PSG in touch with the top three and move them two points clear of fifth-placed Rennes, who lost 1-0 at Monaco.

Hoarau could have got his side off to the perfect start when he got his head to Nene's fourth-minute free-kick, but his effort was deflected wide. PSG goalkeeper Gregory Coupet punched clear from a Grougi free-kick at the other end five minutes later, before the deadlock was broken in the 19th minute.

Nene's free-kick freed Bodmer down the left, and he slotted past Steeve Elana from close range. Buoyed by their opener, the capital club went close to doubling their advantage but Elana pulled off two brilliant saves.

Toure, Grougi produce turnaround
The Brest goalkeeper first kept out a Jeremy Clement shot and then somehow got his foot to the ball to prevent Siaka Tiene's blast from finding its way in via a post. PSG suffered a blow in the 33rd minute when Coupet, complaining of back pain, had to be replaced by Apoula Edel.

The replacement goalkeeper was soon into the action, fouling Grougi but then saving his spot-kick, only for Toure to pounce on the rebound to draw the hosts level eight minutes before the interval.

And he was picking the ball out of his net again in first-half stoppage time, Grougi atoning for his penalty miss by converting Toure's right-wing cross. It could have got worse for the visitors three minutes after the re-start when an unmarked Benoit Lesoimier volleyed Nolan Roux's cross inches wide with Edel beaten.

Hoarau heads equaliser
PSG stepped up their pursuit of an equaliser in the final quarter but Edel's opposite number, Elana, looked set to frustrate Antoine Kombouare's side as he made saves from Nene and Ludovic Giuly.

However, the equaliser finally arrived three minutes from time. Christophe Jallet flicked the ball out to 17-year-old substitute Jean-Christophe Bahebeck on the left, and his cross was met by Hoarau, whose header ended up in the net courtesy of a deflection off the unfortunate Kantari.