Bordeaux lose ground in Ligue 1 as Nantes snap four-match winless run

Published Dec. 13, 2014 3:52 p.m. ET

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PARIS --

Reserve goalkeeper Azbe Jug cost his side two goals as Bordeaux lost 2-1 at Nantes in the French league on Saturday and saw its push for Champions League places come to a halt.

Jug, who replaced the injured Cedric Carrasso, could not get a firm hand on the ball when midfielder Jordan Veretout opened the scoring from Alejandro Bedoya's assist in the 23rd minute.

Jug was unlucky on Nantes' second goal after the ball took a deflection off Bordeaux striker Cheikh Diabate from a corner and rebounded onto the post before hitting the goalkeeper's head in the 66th and finishing in the net. The visitors equalized through Kian Hansen's own goal.

The loss ended fifth-place Bordeaux's three-game unbeaten run, and kept Willy Sagnol's side seven points behind leader Marseille while Nantes snapped a four-game winless streak.

''We did not play bad, we created many chances, but we were unlucky,'' Jug said after his third league match this season. ''On the first goal I dived unsuccessfully, and on the second there was not much I could do. The ball hit the post, then my head, it's just hard luck.''

Both Rennes and Montpellier failed to capitalize on Bordeaux's loss as the Brittany club slipped to a second consecutive defeat, a 2-0 loss at Bastia, while Montpellier conceded a 3-3 draw to Lens on Yoann Touzghar's 80th-minute equalizer. Rennes remained in sixth place, three points ahead of Montpellier, which led 2-0 after 16 minutes and failed to hold onto the lead twice on a deteriorating home pitch.

Also, Lorient moved three points away from the relegation zone with a 3-1 defeat of Metz, and Brazilian striker Diego scored twice as Reims came from behind to beat 10-man Evian 3-2.

After winning two of its previous three games to move just one point behind fourth-place Saint-Etienne, Bordeaux was confident it could extend its seven-match unbeaten run at Stade de La Beaujoire.

Thomas Toure came close to putting Bordeaux ahead in the seventh minute after the forward collected a high ball and dribbled past goalkeeper Remy Riou, only to see his shot saved on the line by defender Papy Djilobodji.

Bordeaux looked in complete control but a lapse in concentration allowed Veretout to score his sixth goal this season. Bedoya collected a long ball from Riou on the right side, and found Veretout with a fine low pass in the box that he converted from a tight angle.

But Nantes was made to pay five minutes later for a costly mistake from Djilobodji, who gave the ball away to Whabi Khazri on the right side. Khazri found space in the box to pick out Gregory Sertic, whose low cross was deflected by defender Hansen into his own goal.

A well-organized Bordeaux midfield then made it difficult for Michel Der Zakarian's side to get possession, but lack of quality in the final third hindered the visitors' attacks.

Bedoya sent a header inches wide in the 51st minute as Nantes looked more adventurous and tried to apply pressure early in the second half.

After Jug helped the ball into his own net, Bordeaux pushed and came close three minutes from time when substitute Diego Rolan's header was cleared off the line by Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, then Bedoya blocked another header from Lamine Sane with his chest.

Marseille travels to Monaco in the weekend's big match on Sunday, while second-place Paris Saint-Germain visits Guingamp.