Marseille loses points over Rennes

Marseille loses points over Rennes

Marseille passed up an opportunity to move two points clear at the Ligue 1 summit as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Rennes.

Jerome Leroy gave the hosts a 37th-minute advantage from the penalty spot but Mamadou Niang secured a share of the spoils for the visitors with an equaliser seven minutes after the interval.

With leaders Nancy having earlier slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Le Mans and Bordeaux not playing Nice until Sunday, OM could have stolen a march in tonight's late kick-off and established daylight at the top.

But it was Rennes who made the early running and who almost went ahead in the fourth minute.

Carlos Bocanegra's free-kick released Ismael Bangoura, who lobbed goalkeeper Steve Mandanda but was denied by the crossbar.

Mandanda then had to get his body in the way to keep his side on level terms after Asamoah Gyan had beaten defender Gabriel Heinze and managed to get his right-footed shot away.

At the other end, Marseille's first chance of note came just before the half-hour but Edouard Cisse got underneath a Fabrice Abriel corner and headed over the bar.

The deadlock was broken eight minutes before the break, Souleymane Diawara adjudged to have handled in the area and Leroy converting from the spot with a low shot to Mandanda's left.

Niang restored parity in the 52nd minute, though, latching onto a Benoit Cheyrou cross at the far post and making no mistake with a simple tap-in.

Mandanda had to be alert to prevent Rennes from immediately going ahead for a second time, scrambling across his goal to deflect Fabien Lemoine's effort away to safety.

Not to be outdone, Rennes goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez kept Marseille at bay in the last half-hour to preserve his side's point.

He first did well to keep out a Brandao shot, then produced a stunning one-handed parry 10 minutes from time from Fernando Morientes' close-range volley.

Niang then beat his man and fired a low, powerful shot towards goal but again Douchez was in the way as OM were frustrated in their pursuit of the victory which would have maintained their 100% start to the campaign.