Caen have slipped to their first defeat in four matches in Ligue 1 as Nantes secured a 2-0 victory at Stade Michel d'Ornano.
The visitors almost broke the deadlock just a few moments after kickoff as Valentin Rongier played the ball forward for Yacine Bammou, but the striker's 20-yard drive was parried behind.
Despite Nantes's bright start, the home side soon started to look the more likely, with Andy Delort coming close with a header from a Ronny Rodelin cross, before Jeff Louis and Julien Feret both missed the target.
Remy Riou had to be on hand again as Vincent Bessat forced a corner, allowing Delort another shot from the resulting set piece, but the striker was denied again.
Against the run of play it was Nantes who opened the scoring midway through the first half when Emiliano Sala flicked the ball on for Bammou, setting the striker up for a powerful finish into the bottom left corner.
Caen pressed for an equaliser at the start of the second half, with Rodelin heading the ball on for Delort before providing a cross for Jeff Louis, but both saw their efforts saved.
Rodelin was involved again as the hosts forced a corner, but the midfielder headed the ball wide of the left post from Vincent Bessat's delivery.
The misses proved costly as Nantes doubled their lead just after the hour mark when the visitors launched a counter-attack, with Wilfried Moimbe crossing the ball in from the left to set up Adrien Thomasson to slice it into the top left corner from close range.
Caen continued to create the majority of the chances, but Rodelin blasted the ball over after Delort played him in, while Damien da Silva nodded wide after Feret delivered the ball from a free kick.
Delort managed a couple more shots in the final 10 minutes as Caen continued to look for a way back into the match, but the striker headed the ball wide before seeing his second effort blocked moments later.
The result gives Nantes their third straight win in the French top flight, moving them up to eighth in the table.
Sian Cowper
