Ocampos wins it for Marseille
Paris, Aug. 13: Substitute Lucas Ocampos snatched a late 1-0 win for Marseille as Claudio Ranieri’s injurydepleted Nantes suffered their second Ligue 1 defeat of the new campaign on Saturday.
Marseille join Lyon — 2-1 winners at Rennes on Friday — provisionally top of Ligue 1 to give Rudi Garcia’s side a timely boost ahead of next week’s Europa League first playoff round game at Slovenia’s Domzale.
Saint-Etienne also have maximum points under new Spanish coach Oscar Garcia, sitting third on goal difference after Romain Hamouma’s second half goal sealed a 1-0 win at Caen.
But former Leicester City boss Ranieri’s Nantes side followed last week’s 3-0 loss to Lille with another defeat after an unprecedented injury spate in the first half hour.
Right back Leo Dubois had already been declared unfit just before the game forcing Ranieri to reorganise his starting eleven.
And the Italian was despairing as midfielder Valentin Rongier suffered a shoulder injury early and was forced off followed by striker Yacine Bammou and midfielder Alexander Kacaniklic — both with muscle problems.
Nantes held on largely thanks to goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu who pulled off six saves in the first half.
There was relief when Florian Thauvin’s late goal was refused as offside but the Romanian keeper was unable to prevent Argentine Ocampos at the far post from getting through on 86 minutes.
Toulouse, meanwhile, got back to winning ways for the first time since April 2 with Swedish international Jimmy Durmaz’s converted penalty sealing a 1-0 win at home against Montpellier.
Elsewhere Angers won 20 at Amiens with Bordeaux beating Metz by the same scoreline at home.