Nantes demolished Marseille 3-0 at home to secure a dominant victory, with goals from Ignatius Ganago, Rémy Cabella, and Matthis Abline turning the match decisively in the second half.
Nantes produced a clinical second-half display to overwhelm Marseille at Stade de la Beaujoire on May 2. Despite trailing in possession and territory for much of the match, the hosts struck with devastating efficiency after the interval. Marseille, sitting sixth in the table, offered little resistance once Nantes found their rhythm, leaving the visitors with a heavy defeat to process.
The first half proved relatively quiet, with neither team creating clear-cut chances. Marseille controlled possession with 58 percent of the ball and registered eight shots on target. However, their attacking play lacked precision and penetration. Nantes, content to sit deeper and hit on the break, managed just five shots on target but posed a constant threat on the counter-attack.
Matthis Abline received a yellow card in the 18th minute for a rash challenge. Marseille's Quilindschy Timber followed suit with a caution in the 31st minute as both sides remained disciplined. The first half ended goalless, setting up an intriguing second-half contest despite the lack of early fireworks.
Everything changed after the break. Nantes exploded into life with three goals in eight minutes, completely dismantling their opponents. Ganago opened the scoring in the 50th minute, firing past the Marseille goalkeeper to ignite the home crowd. The floodgates had opened.
Cabella doubled the advantage just four minutes later in the 54th minute. The midfielder showed composure to finish clinically and put Nantes firmly in control. Marseille's defense crumbled under the pressure. Abline added the third in the 58th minute, capping off a devastating spell that left Marseille searching for answers.
Marseille rallied briefly but never threatened a comeback. Éric Lago and Frédéric Medina picked up yellow cards as frustration mounted. Nantes' goalkeeper Patrik Carlgren made eight saves to secure a clean sheet, earning a 9.3 rating for his commanding performance.
The statistics told the story of a second-half masterclass. Nantes generated 3.0 expected goals compared to Marseille's 1.54, showing their superior quality in the decisive moments. The hosts' 79 percent pass accuracy proved sufficient, while Marseille's 85 percent accuracy could not compensate for their lack of cutting edge.
This result leaves Nantes in 17th place with 20 points from 31 matches. Marseille remains sixth with 55 points but suffered a damaging loss that could impact their European qualification hopes. The gap between the teams became painfully obvious in the second half.
Nantes face a crucial battle to avoid relegation as the season winds down. Marseille must respond quickly to this humbling defeat and refocus on securing their top-six position. Both teams will be eager to move past this encounter and return to winning ways.
