Nantes fought back from a goal down to climb into the top six in Ligue 1 with a 2-1 victory over Caen.

Both sides looked desperate to take control early in the match, but there was a lack of goalscoring opportunities on offer until Caen made the breakthrough midway through the first half.

The deadlock would be broken in spectacular fashion as Mathieu Duhamel took advantage of the space offered to him 30 yards from goal by sending an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

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Yacine Bammou came close to levelling the scores moments later, but he was left frustrated as his low effort drifted just past the post.

However, the visitors were back on level terms before the break thanks to Serge Gakpe, who found space in the penalty area to head in Jordan Veretout's corner.

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Nantes took control of the match early in the second half to move ahead for the first time, and Veretout was crucial once again as he beat the offside trap set by the Caen defence before firing home at the near post.

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After taking the lead, Nantes dropped deeper to invite pressure from Caen as the visitors looked to protect their slender advantage.

However, Remy Riou would play a key role in securing all three points for Nantes as he frustrated Caen with a number of saves, including an impressive stop to keep out a powerful free kick from Jean Calve.