(Reuters) – Olympique de Marseille were held to a 1-1 draw at Nantes in Ligue 1 as the hosts staged a recovery after conceding a goal and having a player sent off inside 10 minutes on Friday.
Marseille moved provisionally top of the table with eight points from four games but several sides have a chance to go above them this weekend. Nantes are 15th with two points.
New Marseille arrival Ismailia Sarr, signed from Watford, scored in successive games with a volley after four minutes.
Nantes’ woes were compounded when 17-year-old debutant Bastien Meupiyou was sent off five minutes later for pulling back Sarr who was free on goal after a poor Pedro Chirivella back pass.
However, Nantes’ Egyptian striker Mostafa Mohamed scored a stunning equaliser, turning and hammering home in the 39th minute.
After that the home side, roared on by a boisterous crowd at the Stade de la Beaujoire, clung on tenaciously for a share of the spoils despite being a man down.
Former Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had made little impression, almost secured a win for Marseille in stoppage time but his effort went wide.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)
