Simon opened his account for the season, but a second-half strike from Ismaily ensured that Lille shared the spoils with the Yellow Canaries
Super Eagles forward Moses Simon scored the opener for Nantes, but his effort was not enough as Nantes had to settle for a 1-1 draw after Ismaily’s 76th-minute equalized for Lille.
Nantes had a great campaign last season, as they hoped to continue their run. Simon was unable to guide his side to victory in their opening fixture against Angers last week.
However, the Nottingham Forest-linked forward could fancy a victory for his side in their first game at home, albeit against a strong Lille side.
It looked like Nantes were on their way to victory after Simon’s strike put them ahead in the 27th nsnamute
Nonetheless, Lille responded, showing urgency. They finally got rewarded in the 76th minute as Jonathan David sent a food pass to find Ismail, who finished with aplomb from close range.
Lille had five shots on target, but a 1-1 draw was all they could get from the Stade de la Beaujoire.