Marseille 6 - 1 Caen

Marseille 6-1 Caen

Updated: January 26, 2008, 9:59 PM UK

MARSEILLE, January 26 (Ligue 1) - Marseille showed their charge for Europe is well and truly on after hitting their UEFA Cup rivals for six on Saturday.

Djibril Cisse bagged a hat-trick as the hosts bounced back from conceding an early goal to dish out a hiding to Caen.

Mathieu Valbuena helped himself to a brilliant brace and Samir Nasri was also on target after Julien Toudic's second-minute opener as Marseille closed to within two points of their opponents and five of a European place.

But it looked like being a different story when Toudic put the visitors ahead, taking advantage of poor defending and firing past Steve Mandanda at the second attempt after his first effort had been blocked.

And Caen could have gone further in front when Yoan Gouffran brought a long ball under control and shrugged off the challenge of Juan Krupoviesa before being denied by a fine reflex save from Mandanda.

But OM were level just before the half-hour mark, Liverpool reject Cisse scoring from close range after Krupoviesa had headed down Nasri's free-kick.

And Valbuena effectively ended the contest with a two-minute blitz before the break.

First he unleashed a piledriver which arrowed into the top corner from 25 yards before repeating the feat moments later, this time sending his shot flying into the opposite corner as Caen keeper Benoit Costil was left clutching at thin air.

Cisse made it four 10 minutes into the second-half, racing onto Nasri's beautifully-weighted throughball and volleying past the despairing Costil.

And the colourful striker sealed his hat-trick just two minutes later as Caen heads dropped, picking the ball up on the left after a poor clearance and cutting inside before finding the net.

Nasri got the goal his performance deserved to round off the rout in the 81st minute after strolling through the defence to leave Caen still without a league win this year.