Emiliano Sala scored an 86th-minute equaliser to earn Nantes a 1-1 draw in their Ligue 1 clash against Toulouse this evening.
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Nantes enjoyed a strong start to the contest and Sala could have put his side ahead when he was afforded space and time on the edge of the box, but he missed the target with his strike.
Adrien Thomasson then saw his effort drift wide of the post following good work in the midfield from Youssouf Sabaly to carve out the opening.
The home side continued to force the issue in the match as the visitors sat back to absorb the pressure, and Sabaly was unfortunate to see his strike creep past the post from a tight angle.
In the second half, Toulouse took the lead against the run of play as Aleksandar Pesic latched on to a low ball from Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro to steer his shot past Remy Riou.
Johan Audel came within inches of getting the hosts level when he rose highest in the box to head at goal from Leo Dubois, only to see his effort clatter off the post.
Toulouse almost put the game beyond the reach of Nantes when Pesic unleashed a powerful strike from distance, but his effort cannoned off the woodwork and bounced clear.
The miss was to cost the visitors as Sala struck in the 86th minute by latching on to Audel's cross and steering his header into the bottom corner to earn his side a share of the spoils.
The match was to end on a further sour note for Toulouse as Issa Diop was dismissed in the final minute of the match for violent conduct.
Nantes remain in 12th place in the table, while Toulouse still reside in the bottom three following the draw.
Simon Sinclair
