Ranieri’s injury-hit Nantes suffer loss to Marseille
PARIS: Substitute Lucas Ocampos snatched a late 1-0 win for Marseille as Claudio Ranieri’s injury-depleted Nantes suffered their second Ligue 1 defeat of the new campaign.
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.
St 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 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.
Rightback 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.
“It’s the first time in my career that I’ve had to change three players in 25 minutes,” declared a frustrated Ranieri.
“Luck isn’t on our side right now. But their replacements were good and the second half was very good.”
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 2-0 at Amiens with Bordeaux beating Metz by the same scoreline at home. — AFP