PARIS: Marseille paid the price for leaving key players on the bench as it lost away to struggling Metz 1-0 in the French league on Friday.

A draw would have moved Marseille up to fifth place, but it remains in sixth ahead of this weekend's matches,

Metz climbed out of the relegation zone and up to 15th place thanks to midfielder Yann Jouffre's winner in the 83rd minute.

Marseille manager Rudi Garcia left top scorer Bafetimbi Gomis, new signing Dimitri Payet and midfielders William Vainqueur and Morgan Sanson on the sideline.

"There are no excuses tonight, the only ones responsible are us," Garcia said. "We should have played better, to at least take a point or to win."