Coly scores late as Nice pip Rennes; Marseille win

Senegal defender Racine Coly’s injury time winner claimed petrochemical billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s first win as Nice owner as they beat Rennes 2-1 on Sunday.

Briton Ratcliffe’s Ineos had its takeover of the French club, coached by Patrick Vieira, confirmed on Monday. They lost his opening fixture at the helm to Marseille on Wednesday in a game which had been suspended following homophobic chants from the Nice supporters.

Sunday’s win moved Nice onto nine points after four games, the same as Rennes and Angers as well as champions PSG who top the table on goal difference.

Vieira’s side started badly in Brittany as defender Gautier Lloris, the younger brother of Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo, scored an own goal from a corner after 25 minutes.

The visitors dominated the second half and Wylan Cyprien converted from the spot with less than half an hour to play.

Coly’s winner, two minutes into added time came as he scrambled home a corner with his knee.

Later, Marseille overcame Saint-Etienne 1-0 after their own fans released a pre-match banner in the stands directed at the league’s organisers who have mooted the idea of introducing a list of banned words in football stadiums in an attempt to combat homophobia and bad language.

Dario Benedetto, one of only two major summer signings by new coach Andre Villas-Boas, claimed his second goal in two games after 33 minutes with tidy build-up play which included an intricate flick-on from the Argentine.

Saint-Etienne, who were looking for their first triumph at the Velodrome since 1979, had numerous second-half chances with the best falling to midfielder Zaydou Youssouf, but Steve Mandanda, making his 400th league appearance for Marseille, saved low to his right.

Also on Sunday, last season’s runners up Lille lost 2-0 at Reims.

Agence France-Pressse

French League results on Sunday:

Marseille 1 (Benedetto 33) Saint-Etienne 0

Strasbourg 2 (Lala 39, Thomasson 84) Monaco 2 (Slimani 11, 40)

Reims 2 (Doumbia 73-pen, Oudin 90) Lille 0

Rennes 1 (Benitez 25-og) Nice 2 (Cyprien-pen 63, Coly 90)