Guingamp trounced Stade Rennes 3-0 to move to the top of the first division, level with Girondins Bordeaux on seven points.

'We are playing really good attacking football at the moment,' club president Noel Le Graet told Monday's L'Equipe newspaper. 'But the results are a little bit unexpected.'

Guingamp came back from being 3-1 down to champions Olympique Lyon in the season's opener, scoring twice in the last three minutes for a 3-3 draw in front of a cheering home crowd.

They then beat newly-promoted Ajaccio 2-0 away before Saturday's drubbing of their Brittany rivals.

The club, who struggled to avoid relegation last season, finishing 16th with just nine victories from 34 matches, rely on a tiny budget and stadium capacity of just 18,500.

'We are not big spenders,' said Le Graet. 'So we have tried to use our brains during the summer break.

'We have looked at what the weaknesses of the last season's squad were and we have tried to provide some solutions.'

EMULATE AUXERRE

Guingamp have bought little known players such as defender Nestor Fabbri from Nantes and midfielder Christophe Leroux from relegated Lorient.

'Some others guys like Stephane Carnot or Claude Michel expressed their will to stay with us. They feel good here and they are keen to struggle for their colours. The public loves them and proves it on every outing,' said Le Graet.

The biggest change was the signing of coach Bertrand Marchand, however. Marchand took over from Guy Lacombe who joined Sochaux.

'He (Marchand) knew the players quite well before coming here. And he was able to fit in with the squad very swiftly which was a great help,' Le Graet said.

Guingamp refuse to take anything for granted, however.

'We know what fighting to avoid relegation means,' Le Graet said. 'We know what playing with fear is like. We had a pretty good start but it doesn't mean we are not going to face hard times in the future.

'Soccer remains unpredictable. At least we would like to not suffer too much this year.'

Guingamp dream of emulating a club like AJ Auxerre, who clinched their first ever title in 1996.

'They have always been a club after my own heart. They work hard and don't make much noise. They are smart with who they buy and they put faith in their players. We must try to emulate them.'