Second Half Sparks into Action as Marseille Clinches Tight Win Over Lyon in Five-Goal Spectacle

Olympique de Marseille secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Olympique Lyonnais in a fixture marked by two distinctly different halves, as the home side broke a three-match winless streak across all competitions, reviving their dwindling hopes in the Ligue 1 title race.

Paulo Fonseca’s initiation as Lyon’s head coach took place during this ‘Choc des Olympiques’ encounter, requiring a visit to the formidable Stade Vélodrome.

Despite facing a challenging debut, the Portuguese manager saw his team manage the limited threat posed by Marseille during a lacklustre opening half.

The hosts created the better of the scant opportunities, with Michael Amir Murillo shooting wide from a cross by Quentin Merlin directed to the far post, while Lucas Perri comfortably gathered Bilal Nadir’s shot, the only effort on target for either side before the break.

Corentin Tolisso stunned the Velodrome crowd, firing Lyon ahead in the 53rd minute with a superb right-footed finish that slid beneath the advancing Geronimo Rulli following a finely orchestrated counter-attack by Fonseca’s men.

This marked Lyon’s first shot on target, with Rulli soon denying Tolisso again moments later, while the midfielder fired another shot wide of the far post.

However, it was the Phocaeans who struck next, with their leading scorer Mason Greenwood leveling things just after the hour mark.

The 23-year-old tapped in from close range following a speedy Marseille counter-attack, with Amine Gouiri providing an assist just three minutes into his debut.

De Zerbi’s side turned the game on its head as Adrien Rabiot nodded the hosts back in front, connecting with a header from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s lofted pass which landed perfectly for the French midfielder to head home.

The match was now well and truly ignited, with controversy arising when referee Jerome Brisard consulted the pitchside monitor, determining that Rabiot had handled Nicolas Tagliafico’s cut-back.

Alexandre Lacazette made no mistake from the penalty spot, bringing Lyon back level in what had morphed into an enthralling contest between two French football powerhouses.

With the momentum swinging towards the hosts, Luis Henrique sent the crowd into a frenzy with a brilliant first-time strike from Pol Lirola’s cross.

Ultimately, Fonseca would taste defeat in his first match as manager of Les Gones, as the visitors missed a chance to break into the top six. They remain in seventh place, while Marseille, sitting in second, narrowed the gap to Paris Saint-Germain to ten points.