Montpellier playmaker Savanier scores late penalty to secure draw with Clermont in French league

Updated Nov. 29, 2023 4:17 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Playmaker Teji Savanier scored a late penalty Wednesday to salvage a 1-1 draw for Montpellier against struggling Clermont in a rescheduled French league game.

The match was ordered to be replayed following incidents when the teams met in the southern city last month.

Montpellier was leading 4-2 and heading for a win when the match was halted in stoppage time after fans threw fireworks from the stands that landed next to Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw. The French league decided that the game would be replayed without fans and docked Montpellier one point.

Montpellier dominated for long spells but could not convert its many chances on Wednesday. Clermont needed only seven minutes to take the lead through Maxime Gonalons’ goal.

Diaw then repeatedly denied Montpellier strikers until the hosts were awarded a penalty for a handball in the box. Savanier sent the Clermont goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot in the 87th minute.

With just 10 points from 13 games, Clermont remained second from bottom, three points behind 13th-place Montpellier.

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