Nice took a 1-0 half-time lead through Marama Vahirua finish but Lyon failed to panic and a storming second half saw them cruise to victory.

Goals from Florent Malouda, Tiago and a brace from Karim Benzema sealed a third straight victory on their travels this season.

Lyon now have 10 points from four matches, although they can be overtaken by Marseille if the southern club beat Le Mans on Sunday.

There were a couple of surprises on Saturday as Sochaux stunned visitors Paris St Germain 3-2 after a topsy-turvy encounter to climb to third in the table.

Karim Ziani opened the scoring for the hosts in the 29th minute, and six minutes later Badara Sene had doubled their lead.

Portugal striker Pauleta grabbed a brace late in the match to level, taking his goals tally to 121 and thus surpassing Lilian Laslandes as the French league's highest goalscorer still actively playing.

However Pauleta and PSG's joy was ended by Ziani when he stepped up to convert from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time to wrap up the points.

Britanny side Lorient also grabbed a league scalp in the shape of Nantes.

The former champions succumbed to a 3-1 defeat which came down to the exploits of striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, who on his starting team debut for Sochaux in the top flight scored a hat-trick in a blistering first half.

Canaries striker Frederic Da Rocha waited only 10 minutes before levelling Gignac's opener in the second minute, however his and Nantes' joy was to be short lived as Gignac added goals in the 15th and 28th minutes.

Lille maintained their tradition of enjoying a solid start to the season with a 3-0 whitewash at home to Bordeaux.

Goals from Yohan Cabaye, Mathieu Bodmer and Peter Odemwingie put Lille in second in the table just a point behind Lyon.

Minnows Troyes were, along with Nice, the other team to lose at home on the night with a 2-1 defeat to visitors Toulouse.

Vahirua's opening goal for Nice against Lyon was a joy.

He robbed Brazilian playmaker Juninho in the middle of the park and then ran purposefully at goal before drifting to his right and chipping the on-rushing Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet.

Nice held on until the break but just four minutes after it they were undone.

Portugal midfielder Tiago escaped down the left and fed Rod Fanni, who in turn set up Malouda for a clinical finish.

Twenty minutes later it was 2-1 as Cris's miscued shot looped up to Malouda who centred for the unmarked Benzema to head nonchalantly into an unguarded net.

Only five minutes after that Tiago increased the lead, with France international Malouda again involved, before Benzema wrapped up victory from the penalty spot in stoppage time.