PARIS — A late goal from Luis Henrique sealed a thrilling 3-2 victory for Marseille against Lyon on Sunday, keeping them firmly in second place and maintaining a ten-point gap behind the unbeaten leaders, Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian winger found the back of the net with a volley in the 85th minute after connecting with a beautifully curled cross from Pol Liroa during an exciting second half that saw all five goals scored.
Lyon initially took the lead with a goal from Corentin Tolisso just after halftime in the 53rd minute. However, Marseille quickly responded, scoring twice in three minutes through Mason Greenwood and Adrien Rabiot.
Alexandre Lacazette, the experienced forward for Lyon, then brought his team back level by converting a penalty in the 72nd minute. The penalty was awarded after a handball incident that was scrutinized by video review, which many felt was a harsh decision against Rabiot, as the ball had initially hit his thigh before bouncing onto his arm.
This match marked the debut for Lyon’s new head coach Paulo Fonseca, and he would have been pleased with his team’s offensive display, particularly the first goal which showcased strong teamwork. Lacazette held possession well and found Ernest Nuamah, who made a crucial pass to Rayan Cherki. Cherki then assisted Tolisso, who finished with a low shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Marseille quickly equalized, with Amine Gouiri, a substitute, providing a clever setup for Greenwood’s equalizer in the 61st minute. Gouiri’s skillful run down the left and accurate diagonal pass allowed Greenwood to net his 13th league goal, placing him just behind Ousmane Dembélé of PSG in the scoring charts.
Greenwood was active again in Marseille’s second goal, flicking a ball over the defense for Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who headed it across to Rabiot for a powerful header that secured the lead.
Due to concerns over potential violence, no away fans were permitted at this match, a decision made in light of previous incidents, including attacks on the Lyon team bus. The atmosphere at Stade Velodrome was notably calmer than in recent games, with the French league having previously condemned incidents of homophobic chants from fans.
In other fixtures, Nice slipped to fifth place after a 1-1 draw with Toulouse, conceding a late equalizer. Gaeten Laborde had given Nice the lead from a penalty after goalkeeper Guillaume Restes fouled Evann Guessand. Despite Nice’s good fortune for much of the match, Toulouse’s persistence paid off with a late goal from Warren Kamanzi.
Nice currently trails fourth-placed Lille by a single point and is three points behind third-placed Monaco in the scramble for a Champions League spot for the next season.
In additional matches, Mostafa Mohamed scored the decisive goal as Nantes edged out Reims 2-1. After Matthis Abline opened the scoring, Nantes conceded an own goal but regained the lead thanks to a late strike from Ludovic Blas. Meanwhile, Rennes secured a much-needed 1-0 win over Strasbourg, climbing to 15th in the standings.
Lastly, Le Havre remained at the bottom after drawing 1-1 with Angers, conceding a late goal despite initially taking the lead. The match was marked by high tensions, resulting in two players being sent off early and six cautions issued.
Paris Saint-Germain achieved a dominant 5-2 victory against Brest on Saturday, maintaining their position at the top of the table.
