Nantes ended their eight-match winless streak in Ligue 1 with a scintillating display against Clermont Foot. A superb strike from Moses Simon secured a 1-0 victory and lifted the Canaries out of the relegation zone.
Right from the start, Nantes displayed confidence and dominance, surprising for a team that hadn’t won away from home in Ligue 1 since February. Quentin Merlin’s early shot tested the Clermont goalkeeper, Mory Diaw, and Florent Mollet came close to scoring with a powerful strike that was saved by Diaw.
Clermont managed to gain some control of the game but struggled to contain the pace and skill of Simon. The Nigerian winger’s crosses and runs caused constant problems for the opposition. Mollet had another opportunity to score with a diving header, but Diaw once again proved his worth with an impressive save.
After the break, Nantes continued to dominate, and they deservedly took the lead just four minutes into the second half. A mistake by Clermont in their own third allowed Simon to chip the ball over Diaw and leave him stranded.
With only two goals scored in their previous encounters, it was no surprise that Nantes were able to control the game after taking the lead. They comfortably kept Clermont at bay, denying them any real chances to equalize.
However, in a moment of madness deep into stoppage time, Nantes’ Eray Comert caught Muhammed Cham in the face with a high boot. This gave Clermont a chance to salvage a point from the match. Unfortunately for them, Cham missed the penalty, blasting the ball over the bar.
The result leaves Pascal Gastien’s men stuck in the drop zone with just one point from their opening five matches and a fifth-straight winless encounter against Nantes.