Sunday 8 November 2009

 Olympique Lyonnais / Olympique de Marseille : 5 - 5

Following Bordeaux's surprise defeat at Lille earlier in the day, Lyon knew a win would send them to the top of the table, while Marseille were hoping to carry on from where they'd left off in their midweek 6-1 thrashing of Zürich in the Champions League. But no one, not even the players, could have had any idea of the drama that would unfold in the ensuing ninety minutes.

The game was barely three minutes old when Lyon took the lead through their teenage midfielder Miralem Pjanić. Kim Källström provided the cross and though OM's Vitorino Hilton half cleared the danger, the 19-year-old Pjanić slotted home to give the hosts an early lead.

Diawara levels

Undeterred, Marseille almost levelled a minute later but an agile save from Hugo Lloris kept Mamadou Niang at bay and Lyon in front. Not for long, however, as on 11 minutes, Souleymane Diawara rose to meet Fabrice Abriel's corner with a well-placed header that gave Lloris no chance.

But just three minutes later Marseille's defensive frailties were once more ruthlessly exposed by Lyon. This time the executioner was Sidney Govou, who surged upfield virtually unopposed to put the ball past the hapless Mandanda to make it 2-1 to Lyon.

On 19 minutes Lyon thought they'd scored number three after Lisandro converted Sidney Govou's cross but referee Bré ruled Govou was offside. Nonetheless, the remorseless pressure from Lyon continued and Marseille were forced to defend with grim determination.

A soft goal

When the next goal came, however, it belonged to Marseille and it was the sort of soft goal teams hate to concede on the stroke of half-time. But on 43 minutes Benoît Cheyrou let fly with a right-foot shot that somehow squirmed from the grasp of Lloris and across the line to bring the sides level at 2-2.

But there was nothing lucky about Marseille's third goal, a wonderful half-volley from Bakari Koné two minutes after the restart following a good run down the left from Abriel. Koné's first of the season couldn't have come at a better time for Marseille, who looked far more composed early on in the second period and were good value for their 3-2 lead.

Lyon on the back foot

Lyon were now on the back foot and Lloris was again in action on 53 minutes, foiling Brandao as the Brazilian lined up number four for the visitors. But then on the hour mark Lyon began to come again and Mandanda was the 'keeper needing to look sharp as Miralem Pjanic almost put Bafetimbi Gomis through.

Gabriel Heinze and Hilton were solid in the OM defence, combining on 70 minutes to snuff out another Lyon attack as Lisandro tried to get on the end of a ball from Aly Cissokho, but as the game entered the home straight it seemed Lyon had more left in the tank. Wrong! On 79 minutes Marseille looked to have put the result beyond doubt when Brandao volleyed home an Abriel corner to make it 4-2.

A glimmer of hope

The OL faithful were still groaning in despair when just one minute later  Jean Makoun picked out Lisandro with a dreamy ball that was delicately chipped over Mandanda and into the Marseille net to give the hosts a glimmer of hope at 4-3 with ten minutes remaining.

The glimmer became a glare two minutes later when Heinze handled in his area and Lyon had a penalty. Cool as you like, Lisandro squeezed the ball into the corner past Mandanda's outstretched arm to make it 4-4.

Grandstand finish

Would both sides settle for a draw ? Not a bit of it !

Lyon sensed they now had Marseille on the ropes and moved in for the kill, and it was Michel Bastos who landed the sucker punch on 90 minutes, taking a pass from Pjanic and drilling it low past Mandanda. Game over, surely, but one thing this Marseille side doesn't lack is guts and despite conceding three goals in ten crazy minutes, the visitors summoned up one last attack deep into injury-time, and their persistence was rewarded when Lyon's Jérémy Toulalan put into his own net after a fierce goal-mouth scramble to make it 5-5.

Lyon missed a chance to leapfrog Bordeaux into top spot and Marseille remain six points off the pace in eighth place, but who cares ! Tonight was one of those occasions when the old cliche rang true : 'The real winner was football!'

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