Arkadiusz Milik scored while Lucas Paqueta was sent off as Marseille and Lyon played out a 1-1 draw in Sunday's 'Olympico' that leaves the Ligue 1 Uber Eats title race closer than ever.
THE MATCH
Following Lille's draw at home to Strasbourg earlier in the day, Lyon knew victory would take them to within a point of top spot, and reclaim second place from Paris Saint-Germain, victors over Dijon 24 hours earlier.
Jason Denayer was close to making contact with a Memphis Depay corner (13') — had he done so, Steve Mandanda would have been sorely tested — and the same would have been true of a Karl Toko Ekambi blockbuster that rocketed wide (16').
A Pol Lirola cross flashed across the face of Anthony Lopes' goal with Milik, restored to the starting XI in what is surely Nasser Larguet's last game in interim charge before Jorge Sampaoli takes over, close to making contact (19') before Lyon seized the initiative. Depay picked out Paqueta on the right — the Brazilian's low cross was intelligently left by Houssem Aouar on the edge of the box for Toko Ekambi, who fired a low shot across Mandanda and into the far corner (21').
The Cameroon international's 12th league goal of the season, which meant Marseille had conceded in each of their last 15 home games, would not stand alone before the break. Florian Thauvin had fired wastefully wide (34') and Depay headed narrowly past the far post with Mandanda beaten (37') before Marseille pulled level.
When a corner was half-cleared, Pape Gueye picked the ball up just outside the penalty area and his shot hit the arm of Paqueta who was just inside it. Milik sent Lopes the wrong way from the spot to leave the Olympico all square at the break (44').
Depay drove a left-foot shot just wide (56') to start the second half with positive intentions, but Lyon were not able to break down the hosts' backline, and when Paqueta caught Payet on the ankle with a late challenge, the Brazil international saw a second yellow card to leave OL handicapped (71').
Depay did have the ball in the net in the closing stages, but the offside flag was raised against the Netherlands international (83') as Lyon had to settle for a point that leaves them in third place, a point ahead of fourth-placed Monaco with the top four now separated by just four points.
THE PLAYER: Arkadiusz Milik
The Poland international is the first Marseille player to score on each of his first two Ligue 1 Uber Eats starts. Marseille have been crying out for a prolific goalscorer for some time — Milik is suggesting they may have found one.
THE STAT: 21
Marseille have registered just two wins against Lyon in the duo's last 21 Ligue 1 meetings.
>> PROFILE: Five things on new Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli
