Ligue 1 Review | Relegation fight deepens as four teams surround playoff spot

The Ligue 1 rescue mission was off to a perfect start for Antoine Koumbouaré as he watched his FC Nantes side defeat OGC Nice 2-1 away from home. The signs had been not promising ahead of this weekend’s tie despite Nice’s varied form in recent weeks. 

La Maison Jaune have floundered this season under owner Waldemar Kita’s commitment to short-termisim. The return of Koumbouaré looked to be in the same vein, with the manager reappointed for the exact reason that had seen him sacked only ten months before, with the club in the relegation zone and in desperate need of someone to come in and save them. 

The scars from his firing were still present in his first press conference back, as he didn’t bother to pretend that he and Kita had patched up their differences. “That we don’t get on well is one thing, the most important thing is that Nantes remain in Ligue 1.” 

And with Moses Simon, perhaps the most important attacking player for Nantes in this underwhelming campaign, out with a possible season-ending injury during the international break. The writing appeared to be on the walls. Yet, instead, Nantes showed the kind of fight that has been missing for so much of the season. 

They overwhelmed a Nice side that has been slowly wilting since January and demonstrated that perhaps the new manager bounce will be enough for the club to avoid their third-ever relegation from Ligue 1. At the very least it was enough to get them out of the relegation playoff spot for a weekend. 

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The team that dropped down in their place FC Lorient will of course be hoping the Nantes’ bounce will come with an almighty fall. Last season’s overachievers have stuck with manager Régis Le Bris and their