Olympique de Marseille twice came back to secure a 2-2 draw at home to relegation-threatened Montpellier Herault in the French Ligue 1 on Sunday, while Girondins de Bordeaux earned a crucial 1-0 win against fellow struggler Ev Avant de Guingamp.
Montpellier top scorer Casimir Ninga notched his second double in three matches to twice put his side ahead. The 22-year-old scored his first following a one-two with Ryad Boudebouz and doubled his tally with an effort that went in off the left post.
Remy Cabella, who progressed through the ranks at Montpellier and spent five years in the first team, starred against his old side and netted the first equalizer, although the ball appeared to come off his arm in the build-up.
Photo: AFP
Bouna Sarr fired in Marseille’s second after the officials did not spot that the ball had gone out of play before Georges-Kevin Nkoudou’s cross.
“Unfortunately if I was in their [the referees’] place, I would have made the same mistakes, because it is impossible with the means that we have to see if the ball has gone out,” Montpellier coach Rolland Courbis said. “On the other hand I do not see why they do not extend the goal-line technology. There was a handball on Cabella’s goal, but that is impossible to see.”
It was Marseille’s sixth home match without a win and left it ninth, above Stage Rennais on goal difference after Philippe Montanier’s side held AS Saint-Etienne to a 1-1 draw.
Montpellier moved a point above the bottom three, above Guingamp on goal difference, but were leapfrogged by Bordeaux who are up to 12th, three points above the drop zone in a tight bottom half of the table.
“What is most important tonight is to have got three points and prove that this season is difficult, long and strange,” Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol said. “Winning in difficult times is always significant: It does a lot of good for the morale. We are relieved to have three points because the situation before the match was difficult and it still is.”
Both Bordeaux and Guingamp were hoping to avoid a third consecutive defeat, but the home side, who were booed off the pitch at halftime by their fans, managed to break the deadlock on the hour mark when Cedric Yambere headed in Wahbi Khazri’s corner.
Guingamp almost leveled 12 minutes later as Nicolas Benezet’s effort crashed off the left upright.
Saint-Etienne had lost six of their previous nine matches, but would have moved fourth with a win.
However, it was too timid and Rennes took the lead five minutes from halftime when Giovanni Sio raced down the left flank and delivered an excellent cross which Pedro Henrique fired home.
Saint-Etienne leveled in the 78th when substitute Valentin Eysseric converted a penalty after Sylvain Armand fouled Romain Hamouma.
Hamouna almost won it for the home side three minutes from time, but Rennes goalkeeper Benoit Costil finger-tipped his lob onto the crossbar and the rebound was cleared by the defense.
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