What a game! Lyon 2-3 Marseille: 10-man visitors clinch last-minute victory

The Choc des Olympiques has a habit of, precisely, throwing up a few shocks. Some in recent years have unfortunately come off the pitch – leading to a ban on travelling Marseille fans for Sunday’s Matchday 5 closer.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

1' Highlight from Lyon vs Marseille

5' Red Card! Leonardo Balerdi sent off

12' Match Event for Lyon vs Marseille

20' Match Event for Lyon vs Marseille

25' Match Event for Lyon vs Marseille

40' Highlight from Lyon vs Marseille

48' Highlight from Lyon vs Marseille

51' Penalty Missed!  (Alexandre Lacazette)

54' GOAL! Lyon 1-0 Marseille (Duje Caleta-Car)

60' Match Event for Lyon vs Marseille

69' GOAL! Lyon 1-1 Marseille (Pol Lirola)

82' GOAL! Lyon 1-2 Marseille (Ulisses Garcia)

94' GOAL! Lyon 2-2 Marseille

Match Report

The home supporters, in any case, did not have to wait long for an early twist, as OM‘s Leonardo Balerdi was sent off within the first five minutes of the game. The Argentine was first penalised within seconds of kick-off for a lunge on Corentin Tolisso, before being outsmarted by Alexandre Lacazette soon after, while frantically defending a Lyon counter-attack.

Les Gones predictably dominated proceedings from then on – a Gift Orban overhead kick which hit the bar and a last-ditch Rongier block to keep out Tolisso’s shot among the clearer opportunities for Pierre Sage’s men. The former Nantes midfielder was almost decisive at the other end of the pitch as well, seeing his shot from the edge of the box parried by an impressive Lucas Perri reflex save.

His Argentine counterpart would keep the visitors afloat with a string of impressive saves, culminating in a penalty save from Alexandre Lacazette just before the break – striking first in what was something of an Olympic rematch of their own.

The hosts would eventually find the back of the net through some unlikely contributors – Clinton Mata swinging the ball into the box after a sliding tackle to swipe the ball from Rongier, and Ćaleta-Car on hand to send an emphatic header past Rulli. It was a timely first goal in Lyon colours for the Croatian – coming against his former club, no less.

Lyon were made to pay for their missed chances, though, as Pol Lirola pounced on a defence-splitting through ball from Luis Henrique to unexpectedly draw Marseille level. The Catalan right-back – who had not scored for Marseille in nearly three years – had been brought on for Elye Wahi at half-time, with the former Lens man having struggled to make the most of the few chances that came his way.

Lirola would be involved in Marseille’s second of the night as well, following up a lung-bursting run down the right with a cross to the onrushing Ulisses Garcia. With the Lyon defence squarely beaten, the Swiss left-back found the back of the net with a lob over a helpless Perri.

The stoppage time that followed was enough to elevate the match among the Olympico all-time classics. Rayan Cherki, on the day his contract renewal was announced, appeared to have rescued a point for the hosts with a smart backheel finish – only for another substitute in Marseille’s Jonathan Rowe to hit back immediately afterwards. Roberto De Zerbi’s men, now level on points with Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco – will have needed a Ligue 1 classic to see off their fellow Olympians – but it could be a foundational performance for the season ahead.

Line-ups

Lyon XI: Matic, Lacazette, Tagliafico, Veretout, Mata, Tolisso, Caleta-Car, Maitland-Niles, Lucas Perri, Gift Orban, Abner

Subs: Zaha, Rémy Descamps, Caqueret, Warmed Omari, Cherki, Georges Mikautadze, Tanner Tessmann, Malick Fofana, Ernest Nuamah

Marseille XI: Gerónimo Rulli, Kondogbia, Hojbjerg, M. Murillo, Harit, Lilian Brassier, Balerdi, Greenwood, Elye Wahi, Luis Henrique, Ismaël Koné

Subs: Maupay, Rongier, U.García, Jeffrey de Lange, P.Lirola, Jonathan Rowe, Bamo Meïté, Valentín Carboni, Darryl Bakola