PARIS:
Rennes ended a run of three successive Ligue 1 defeats by crushing 10-man Bordeaux 6-0 on Sunday to plunge Vladimir Petkovic's struggling side into the relegation zone.
Bordeaux have won just three times in 21 league games under Petkovic, who left his job as Switzerland boss after leading the country to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals.
"I take full responsibility. I wasn't able to sufficiently push the players and help them shake this fear. When you're afraid, you can't play football," said Petkovic, who sidestepped questions over his future.
"I'm a fighter, my star sign is Leo. I don't give up. It's up to me now to be able to transmit this energy to the team.
"We're in a battle for survival. We must approach matches in a more combative way, with the desire to win at all costs."
Bordeaux have been hit badly by Covid-19 cases, while captain Laurent Koscielny is expected to leave this month after it was decided he was no longer in the club's plans.
Hosts Rennes took the lead on 33 minutes through Martin Terrier before Benjamin Bourigeaud curled home a free-kick.
Issouf Sissokho was sent off early in the second half for Bordeaux and Rennes piled on the misery with goals from Gaetan Laborde and Adrien Truffert before a late double by Serhou Guirassy.
Rennes moved back up to fourth, while Bordeaux dropped to second last as Lorient and Metz climbed above the six-time French champions.
Philippe Clement earned his first win as Monaco coach with a 4-0 victory over Clermont. Wissam Ben Yedder came off the bench and scored twice, adding to Sofiane Diop's opener, before Caio Henrique bagged a fourth.
Lyon snapped a five-game winless run courtesy of Moussa Dembele's first-half penalty in a 1-0 victory away to Troyes.
Strasbourg came from behind to beat Montpellier 3-1, while Lorient and Angers drew 0-0.
Marseille missed the chance to go level on points with second-placed Nice when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Lille in Sunday's late game.
Dutch centre-back Sven Botman, who had been the subject of transfer speculation linking him with a move to Newcastle, put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute but they were reduced to 10 men just after the half-hour when Benjamin Andre was shown two yellow cards in the space of three minutes.
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