Auxerre's Roy Contout, right, and Lyon's Anthony Mournier fight for the ball during their match in Auxerre on Saturday. (Michel Euler/Associated Press)

Lyon's clinical 3-0 win at Auxerre in the French league on Saturday showed early promise that Claude Puel's side can challenge for the title despite selling star striker Karim Benzema to Real Madrid.

Lyon failed to win an eighth straight title last season, and when the club sold Benzema and lynchpin midfielder Juninho in the off-season it led to questions about how well Puel's team would cope.

But Lyon had a 5-1 win over Anderlecht on Wednesday in the Champions League playoff round and has won three straight games, offering a warning in the title race to defending champion Bordeaux and Marseille, which drew at Rennes 1-1. Bordeaux hosts Nice on Sunday.

The win moved Lyon to seven points after three rounds and provisionally into first place along with Paris Saint-Germain, which won 3-2 at Valenciennes, and Marseille.

Marseille fell behind to Jerome Leroy's penalty in the 37th minute, but salvaged a draw through Mamadou Niang.

Rennes took the lead when defender Souleymane Diawara handled the ball and Leroy just beat goalkeeper Steve Mandanda from the spot, but Niang equalized in the 52nd when he was left unmarked to tap home Benôit Cheyrou's cross.

An uncommon moment of skill from France defender Jean-Alain Boumsong gave Lyon the lead in the 31st minute when Cesar Delgado crossed from the right and Boumsong flicked the ball into the net with this heel.

Cameroon midfielder Jean II Makoun made it 2-0 in first-half injury time when he slotted home a cross from left winger Anthony Mounier.

Miralem Pjanic, 19, who curled in a free kick against Anderlecht, is starting to show just why Europe's big clubs are watching him. He grabbed Lyon's third goal, with Delgado again the provider, and was one of Lyon's best players.

Pjanic's playing time was limited last season, but Juninho's departure means he has more chances to shine.

In Saturday's other games, it was: Le Mans 2, Nancy 1; Monaco 2, Lorient 0; Montpellier 2, Sochaux 0; and Saint-Etienne 0, Boulogne 1.