Rabiot on target as Marseille wins 2-0 at Saint-Etienne to retain second place

PARIS (AP) — France midfielder Adrien Rabiot grabbed his first goal for Marseille in a 2-0 win at Saint-Etienne on Sunday which helped the southern club retain second place in the French league.

The former Juventus player latched onto an astute pass over the defense from striker Neal Maupay, took one touch to control the ball and then volleyed it in with his left foot in the 17th minute.

Marseille striker Mason Greenwood netted the second in the 65th after earning a penalty and scoring at the second attempt, after goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur saved his spot kick. It was Greenwood’s 10th league goal since an offseason move from Manchester United, moving him one behind Ligue 1 top scorer Jonathan David of Lille.

The match was interrupted for a few minutes near the end by referee Jérôme Brisard as home fans let off flares and smoke enveloped the pitch at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Marseille is above third-place Monaco on goal difference with both sides on 29 points after 14 rounds. Saint-Etienne is 16th in the promotion-relegation playoff spot.

The match pitted two of the most storied clubs in French soccer with 10 league titles each.

Marseille last won the league in 2010, with Didier Deschamps as coach. By comparison, Paris Saint-Germain had won just two of its record 12 league titles by then.

Saint-Etienne’s 10th crown was way back in 1981. So long ago that France great Michel Platini was playing in midfield, scoring 20 league goals that season and 22 the next when “Les Verts” (The Greens) finished runner-up.

Earlier Sunday, Nantes scored late to beat 10-man Rennes 1-0 and a chaotic finish saw Rennes coach Jorge Sampaoli sent off in stoppage time after a video replay ruled out an equalizer.

Nigeria winger Moses Simon’s fine solo goal put the home side ahead in the 89th minute against a Rennes side defending resolutely following defender Mikayil Faye’s red card in first-half stoppage time.

Defender Christopher Wooh scored from a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time for Rennes, but after a VAR check referee Mickaël Leleu ruled it out for a handball.

Leleu was the match fourth official, but took the whistle in the 11th minute after referee Eric Wattelier sustained what appeared to be a minor leg injury and had to be replaced.

The win moved Nantes up to 13th place and level on points with Rennes in 12th.

Lens beat rock-bottom Montpellier 2-0 to move up to seventh while Strasbourg dropped to 14th after drawing 0-0 with midtable Reims.

Forward Rémy Labeau Lascary put Lens ahead in the 39th and, after influential midfielder Téji Savanier twice went close for the visitors in the second half, a stoppage-time own-goal from defender Becir Omeragic made it 2-0.

On Saturday, Monaco beat Toulouse 2-0 to move five points behind leader PSG, which drew 0-0 at Auxerre on Friday.