Second-place Marseille saw its unbeaten run end as it lost 3-1 at home to Nice on Sunday to slip eight points behind French league leader Paris Saint-Germain.
Second-place Marseille saw its unbeaten run end as it lost 3-1 at home to Nice on Sunday to slip eight points behind French league leader Paris Saint-Germain.
Marseille’s first league defeat in 10 games means it is only ahead of third-place Lens on goal difference, with in-form Monaco now two points back in fourth spot. Third place secures a place in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League next season.
Marseille fans got a first look at club-record signing Vitinha, a forward who joined from Portuguese side Braga for 32 million euros ($34.5 million). Terem Moffi made his debut for eighth-place Nice after joining from Lorient, where he scored 12 goals this season.
Neither made much of an impression in a first half where Nice’s superior pressing game troubled Marseille and prevented it from getting the ball regularly to playmaker Dimitri Payet.
Vitinha’s lack of familiarity with his teammates and the 35-year-old Payet’s tiring legs played into Nice’s high-octane game and the visitors scored twice at the end of the first half.
