Bamba stars as Nantes wins at 2nd-place Marseille 3-1

PARIS (AP) — Kader Bamba scored one goal and set up another as Nantes found its form in beatng second-placed Marseille 3-1 in the French league on Saturday.

Marseille’s first league defeat of 2020 left it 10 points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain, which is at home to Bordeaux on Sunday.

Marseille welcomed back inspirational playmaker Dimitri Payet after a minor injury. But Nantes was the more impressive and scored in the 34th minute when Belgian winger Anthony Limbombe met Bamba’s cross with a diving header.

Midfielder Morgan Sanson equalized five minutes later when Boubacar Kamara broke down the right and unselfishly passed the ball back to him inside the penalty area.

Nantes regained the lead in the 53rd after Marseille lost the ball in midfield. It was quickly fed to Bamba on the left of the area, and he cut inside before curling a fine shot into the right corner.

The goal was awarded when a video review ruled that another Nantes player had not impeded goalkeeper Steve Mandanda when Bamba shot. The player had ducked out of the way of the ball.

Mandanda fumbled a shot in injury time and Marseille’s misery was compounded when center half Álvaro González turned the ball into his own net, under strong pressure from forward Moses Simon.

In later games, Lille needed a home win against last-placed Toulouse to move into third spot, and improving Monaco was at Dijon.