Nantes score late to beat 10-man Rennes as Sampaoli sees red

PARIS (AP) — Nantes scored late to beat 10-man Rennes 1-0 in the French league on Sunday and a chaotic finish saw Rennes coach Jorge Sampaoli sent off in stoppage time after a video replay ruled out an equalizer.

Nigeria winger Moses Simon’s fine solo goal put the home side ahead in the 89th minute against a Rennes side defending resolutely following defender Mikayil Faye’s red card in first-half stoppage time.

Defender Christopher Wooh scored from a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time for Rennes, but after a VAR check referee Mickaël Leleu ruled it out for a handball.

Leleu was the match fourth official, but took the whistle in the 11th minute after referee Eric Wattelier sustained what appeared to be a minor leg injury and had to be replaced.

The win moved Nantes up to 13th place and level on points with Rennes in 12th.

Lens beat rock-bottom Montpellier 2-0 to move up to seventh spot while Strasbourg dropped to 14th after drawing 0-0 with midtable Reims.

Forward Rémy Labeau Lascary put Lens ahead in the 39th and, after influential midfielder Téji Savanier twice went close for the visitors in the second half, a stoppage-time own goal from defender Becir Omeragic made it 2-0.

Later Sunday, Saint-Etienne hosted Marseille in a match pitting two of the most storied clubs in French soccer with 10 league titles each.

Marseille last won the league in 2010, with Didier Deschamps as coach. By comparison, Paris Saint-Germain had won just two of its record 12 league titles by then.

Saint-Etienne’s 10th crown was way back in 1981. So long ago that France great Michel Platini was playing in midfield, scoring 20 league goals that season and 22 the next when “Les Verts” (The Greens) finished runner-up.

On Saturday, Monaco beat Toulouse 2-0 to move five points behind leader PSG, which drew 0-0 at Auxerre on Friday.

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