Marseille played hosts to Nantes at the Stade Velodrome on Friday night with the two sides neck and neck in the Ligue 1 table.
Les Phoceens were desperate to keep pace with the Champions League runners above them, while Les Canaris could go above fourth-placed Marseille with a victory and continue their impressive start to the season.
In a tense affair, it was the visitors who emerged with all three points after hanging on to a first-half winning goal.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from Ligue 1 where Marseille entertain Nantes at the Stade Velodrome.
Both these teams, two of the most historic in France, have a lot to play for tonight but in rather different circumstances.
Marseille, currently fourth, sit just one place and one point above tonight's opponents, but are under enormous pressure to keep pace with the division's top three. Paris Saint-Germain, Lille and AS Monaco all sit comfortably above Les Phoceens as they battle for the three Champions League spots. They head into this match right point behind third-placed Monaco, and need to win tonight.
Meanwhile, Nantes find themselves in a similar situation but are under no real pressure to achieve a place in the top three. Les Canaris were promoted from Ligue 2 last and have surprised many onlookers with their strong start to the campaign, having keep the majority of their squad together from last season. They have the same goal difference as tonight's opponents, and a win tonight will put them back into the top four of the division. There's a lot at stake.
Marseille go into this match deflated. Having had numerous chances to beat Lille on Tuesday and frequently finding themselves frustrated by an impenetrable Vincent Enyeama in goal, Les Phoceens came away from Stade-Pierre Mauroy with nothing after Nolan Roux headed home an injury-time winner for a 1-0 win. That defeat came after back-to-back victory for Marseille, so they will be keen to rediscover their good form of previous.
On the other hand, Nantes have done the complete opposite. Having suffered a number of losses on the spin, Les Canaris were able to get the better of Valenciennes on Tuesday night and come from behind to triumph 2-1 on home soil.
Marseille manager Elie Baup, who guided Nantes to relegation from Ligue 1 in 2008-09, will be hoping to get back to winning ways at the expense of his former club this evening. He'll have to do it without star man Mathieu Valbuena though, who suffered a shoulder problem earlier this week that will sideline him for the next six weeks.
Right, let's bring you the team news, starting with the hosts.
MARSEILLE XI: Mandanda, Diawara, Fanni, Nkoulou, Mendy, Cheyrou, Lemina, Romano, Payet, Thauvin, Gignac
So, Elie Baup has made three alterations to his team following their loss at Lille.
Valbuena is out injured, while Kassim Abdallah and Jeremy Morel drop to the bench for tonight's clash. In their places come Rod Fanni, Benjamin Mendy and Mario Lemina.
Having come off as a worry the other night, Dimitri Payet starts against his old club.
Here is the Marseille bench.
MARSEILLE BENCH: Samba, Abdallah, Mendes, Morel, Imbula, Ayew, Khalifa
So that's the home squad, let's check out the visitors.
NANTES XI: Riou, Alhadhur, Cissokho, Djilobodji, Vizcarrondo, Bessat, Deaux, Toure, Bedoya, Djordjevic, Gakpe
Michel Der Zakarian has opted for two changes to the team that fought back against Valenciennes during the week.
Banel Nicolita falls out of the squad while Jordan Veretout drops to the bench. Into the first team come Birama Toure and Vincent Bessat.
Top scorer Filip Djordjevic partners Serge Gakpe in attack for Les Canaris.
Let's take a look at the Nantes substitutes.
NANTES BENCH: Zelazny, Veigneau, Trebel, Veretout, Aristeguieta, Audel, Bangoura
So there are the teams, and we're just a few minutes away from kick off now.
The teams are out, and we're currently paying respect to the recently passing Nelson Mandela. Hugely deserved as well. You could produce an entire commentary on the great man himself.
Marseille are in their all-white home kit with light blue trim, while Nantes are in their famous all-yellow first strip.
KICK OFF! Marseille, attacking from left to right, get the game up and running.
Bessat wins an early free kick for Nantes on the left of the penalty area. It's a good position for a cross into the box, and the big boys are forward from the back.
The ball into the box causes a few problems, but Nantes can't get hold of the ball and Marseille can hack it clear.
Nantes have had most of the early possession, but they're not really troubling Marseille with it.
You know it's winter when the referee cracks out the orange football. The giant satsuma is being knocked about this evening but, so far, it's not lead to much entertainment.
Despite being under pressure to win tonight, Marseille usually do well against the promoted sides. In fact they have won 19 of their last 25 games in Ligue 1 at the Stade Velodrome against teams who have just come up from the second tier.
Valbuena is in the stands tonight. He could prove to be a huge miss for Marseille over the winter period; he's arguably their best player.
Djordjevic is nearly played in over the top and would be through on goal, but Mandanda is quickly out to clear the danger.
There are light-hearted appeals from Nantes for a penalty as Bessat beats Nkoulou into the box and goes down under the challenge of Mandanda, but the referee remains unmoved. To be fair, Bessat didn't ask for a penalty, so I guess it probably wasn't a spot kick.
GOAL! Marseille 0-1 Nantes (Alejandro Bedoya)
They don't need a spot kick because Nantes have taken the lead, albeit with a huge slice of luck. The ball goes down the left of the box and Djordjevic cuts it back to Bedoya in the centre. He hits it first time with his left and looks to help it into the far corner across goal, which is where Mandanda has started to dive. However, it takes a deflection off the outstretched leg of Mendy and rolls into the back of the net.
Cheyrou tries to mount an immediate Marseille response, but his shot from range flies wide and had Riou unmoved.
This game has suddenly come alive. Another potential-penalty moment there for Les Canaris, but again play is waved to continue by the referee.
Marseille are really struggling at the moment. Nantes look a threat every time they burst forward. The hosts look as if they are already missing Valbuena as nobody is keeping hold of the ball.
SAVE! Payet has Marseille's first shot on target, but he hits a low effort from the edge of the D which rolls comfortably into the arms of Riou.
SAVE! Mandanda saves his side's bacon once again. Nantes float a corner from the right into the near side of the area where Djilobodji meets it with a powerful flick on, that forces Mandanda to save with his legs. Marseille can then scramble it clear, but Nantes are looking the more likely to score the next goal.
If there is someone who is capable of sparking Marseille into life, it's Florian Thauvin. He skips through a couple of Nantes defenders before readying himself to shoot just outside the box, but Djilobodji can make a last-ditch tackle to concede a corner.
Marseille fail to threaten from the corner, and the chance is gone.
Payet, from the left, curls a cross to the far post where Gignac is running into space, but the big man has to stretch and can't get good contact on the ball. Goal kick.
Oh what a chance for Marseille. Lemina comes down the left flank, along the byline and into the penalty area. He can either shoot or knock the ball across to a welcoming Thauvin, who would surely find an equaliser. However, he gets caught in two minds, and simply rolls to ball straight to Riou in goal.
Another worrying moment for Marseille from a corner as Djilobodji causes havoc again with a header that just misses the target. Gakpe then fails to keep it in play, and Marseille can breathe.
Marseille are starting to get back into the game a bit more, but seem incredibly tentative when approaching the penalty area. Nantes, as expected, are playing without fear and looking very strong going forward.
Marseille are threatening a lot more towards the end of the half, and it would be a huge coup if they could go into the break level.
The hosts have just won a free kick dead central and 30 yards out. Thauvin wants this.
CLOSE! Thauvin goes for hit with his left foot and bends it over the wall, but it doesn't dip in time and lands on top of the net.
HALF TIME: Marseille 0-1 Nantes
There goes the half-time whistle, and Nantes' lead is deserved at the break. They have looked a lot better than their opponents and are playing without any apparent pressure. Marseille came back into the match more towards the end of the half, but they need to carry that into the second half.
Bedoya's deflected effort is what separates these two teams at half time.
Let's take a look at the half-time statistics.
Match statistics:
Marseille:
Shots 6
On target 2
Possession 54
Corners 4
Fouls 3
Nantes:
Shots 6
On target 2
Possession 46%
Corners 3
Fouls 3
The teams are back out at the Stade Velodrome.
MARSEILLE CHANGE Alteration at the break for Marseille as Baup takes off midfielder Mario Lemina and brings on a striker in the form of Saber Khalifa.
KICK OFF! Nantes get the second half underway.
Nantes float an early free kick from the right into the box which has Marseille panicking slightly, but they fail to capitalise.
Even start to this second half, Marseille are certainly coming forward with more purpose.
Marseille attack down the left and Mendy whips in a good cross to the far post. It evades the defenders and is met by Thauvin, but he can't get his header on target and is evidently frustrated with himself.
CHANCE! Huge opportunity for Serge Gakpe to double Nantes' lead at the other end. They attack down the left and the ball is crossed to the far post towards Djordjevic by Bessat. However, it's too long for the forward, but falls to his partner Gakpe on the far side of the box who is unmarked. He takes a touch and opens up his body, but curls it over the far post.
YELLOW CARD Djordjevic goes into the book for a rather cynical tackle from behind on Diawara, who is in some pain.
CHANCE! Khalifa has the ball just outside the D, but scuffs his shot along the floor into the arms of Riou.
SAVE! That's the first real stop that Riou has had to make tonight. Payet brings the ball under control at pace outside the box, shifting it onto his left foot before firing a powerful effort at goal which Riou is forced to tip over.
The corner is cleared away at the first attempt by Nantes, but Marseille are probably just about edging it at the moment. You get the feeling that there is another goal in this game, and whoever it falls to will be crucial. You'd fancy the next scorer to win the match.
Now now, this is interesting. Gignac runs onto a ball up against Djilobodji and goes down in the box when under pressure. He could have maybe been awarded a penalty there, but takes a shot when he is on the deck which goes wide. He then screams at the referee, who brandishes a couple of yellow cards to Marseille. Replays show that Gignac did look to have just fallen over.
YELLOW CARDS I believe that the bookings were given to Payet and Gignac for their protests but I'm not certain. Will tell you otherwise.
WIDE! Marseille put a corner into the box from the left which bounces in front of Thauvin at the far post, but he can only side-foot it wide.
NANTES CHANGE Impressive youngster Jordan Veretout is coming on, while the goalscorer Bedoya heads off.
SITTER! What a miss from Khalifa, it should be 1-1. Gignac does ever so well floating down the right towards the byline before passing across goal to Khalifa at the far post. He opens his body as he meets the ball from all of a few yards out, but somehow side-foots it over the bar and looks devastated.
SAVE! Marseille are really knocking on the door but Riou is refusing to let them in. Payet hits a low shot from just outside the box to the left of center, but Riou can bat it away.
NANTES CHANGE Toure comes off, with Trebel taking his place.
Marseille are well and truly on top at the moment. Payet is everywhere, and Gignac is looking a threat.
MARSEILLE CHANGE Jordan Ayew is being brought on, and interestingly it's Payet who has gone off. He's been Marseille's brightest spark tonight.
Baup's throwing everything at this now. As things stand, Marseille could be 11 points adrift of the top three come the end of the weekend, and will be looking up at his former club.
SAVE! Mandanda keeps Marseille in the game once again. Gakpe easily beats two men from the right to bring the ball inside and pass it across the box to an unmarked Djordjevic. He takes a touch and slams the ball towards the bottom corner, but Mandanda can make the stop with his legs.
10 minutes to go, can Marseille find a leveller?
Ayew hits a shot from 25 yards, but it's poor and an easy catch for Riou.
CHANCE! Superb play from Gignac yet again as he beats several players down the right side of the box before drilling a low pass across the face of the box, but none of his teammates are there to tap it in.
MARSEILLE CHANGE Final roll of the dice for Baup as Imbula replaces Cheyrou.
NANTES CHANGE Last alteration for Der Zakarian as well as Gakpe comes off and is replaced by Audel.
Just a few minutes to go, and Nantes are playing keep-ball in the Marseille half. It's become that tense.
YELLOW CARD Mendy goes into the book for screaming at the referee and appealing a handball.
Thauvin lifts a corner into the box, and Nantes literally just boot it anywhere, so long as it's away.
It's all very last-ditch from Nantes at the moment, they're clinging on as Marseille storm forward.
Marseille have three minutes to find a dramatic equaliser.
Thauvin curls a corner from the right into the near post, but Nkoulou heads over under intense pressure.
FULL TIME: Marseille 0-1 Nantes
Big, big win for Nantes who swap places in the table with Marseille thanks to this result. A draw would have been fair, but Marseille couldn't beat Riou and his defence, while Bedoya won it for Nantes with a deflected strike in the first half.
Before we part ways, lets take a peek at the full-time stats.
Match statistics:
Marseille:
Shots 20
On target 5
Possession 56
Corners 8
Fouls 6
Nantes:
Shots 12
On target 3
Possession 44%
Corners 5
Fouls 13
That's it from me. I hope you enjoyed the game. Stick with Sports Mole throughout the weekend to get your French football desires and more.
