PLAYER RATINGS: Nantes 3-0 Marseille: Phocéens’ Champions League hopes in tatters after humiliating loss to relegation fighters

PLAYER RATINGS: Nantes 3-0 Marseille: Phocéens’ Champions League hopes in tatters after humiliating loss to relegation fighters

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Matchday 32, 02/05/2026

Nantes have inflicted Marseille a shock 3-0 humiliation to put an end to their race for the Champions League and punish a wretched display from Habib Beye’s side. Les Canaris retain some hopes in their near-impossible quest to escape the Ligue 2 drop.

The Match

Both sides were in dire need of a win to retain slim hopes of fulfiling their goals for the end of the season: Ligue 1 survival for Nantes, Champions League football for Marseille. The two teams had no choice but to field their second-choice goalkeepers in Patrik Carlgren and Jeffrey De Lange after both Anthony Lopes and Geronimo Rulli sustained injury.

Played in a dull atmosphere at La Beaujoire – given Nantes fans have downed tools – Les Canaris took the game by the scruff of the neck, showing real intent in hurting a sluggish Marseille side. Habib Beye came out fighting about reports in French media about him losing the dressing room, and his players did close to nothing to allay those fears.

Marseille were lazy, out-of-sorts and completely off from the get-go, and Beye should be thankful for Nantes’ wastefulness in the final third with Jeffrey De Lange dishing a handful of good saves. The second half picked up where the first one ended, with Nantes completely on top of a sorry Marseille side.

Marseille eventually got what they deserved, and then more with Nantes racing to a shock 3-0 lead inside eight minutes with goals from Ignatius Ganago, Rémy Cabella and – the latter the pick of the bunch courtesy of a mazing run inside Marseille’s leaky defense.