LYON: Marseille came from behind to beat Lyon 3-2 away from home after being reduced to 10 men early in the match on Sunday courtesy of a 95th-minute winner by Jonathan Rowe. The result sent Roberto De Zerbi’s resurgent side second in Ligue 1, level on 13 points with Paris Saint-Germain but with an inferior goal difference.

Ex-Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car opened the scoring for Lyon in a chaotic ‘Olympico’ derby, marked by late goals and an early red card. Pol Lirola levelled for Marseille, before Ulisses Garcia sent them ahead with under 10 minutes remaining. Rayan Cherki looked to have claimed a point for Lyon in the third minute of added time only for Rowe to piledrive a winner for Marseille from the edge of the box two minutes later. The match lived up to its feisty billing as one of France’s most intense rivalries with Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi picking up a yellow card inside 30 seconds for a heavy challenge on Corentin Tolisso. The Marseille captain then got his marching orders inside five minutes for a second bookable offence when he hauled down Alexandre Lacazette.

"He made a mistake and he knows it,” said De Zerbi. "But we dedicate this victory to him and he remains our captain. "In this squad, when someone is in difficulty, we don’t abandon him.” A man to the good, Lyon dominated but failed to translate this onto the scoresheet.

First-half controversy then continued when deep in added time, Lyon were awarded a penalty for handball after a lengthy VAR review. Lacazette’s effort from 12 yards was repelled by Geronimo Rulli and the Lyon captain, under intense pressure from the following-in defence, could only blaze the rebound well over the crossbar.

Caleta-Car powered in a 53-minute header following excellent work by Clinton Mata to win the ball and put in a pinpoint cross on the right flank. But Marseille, despite having subbed off attackers Amine Harit and Elye Wahi, hit back through substitute defender Lirola in the 69th minute when he calmly lifted a one-on-one finish over Lucas Perri.

The shock turnaround continued in the 82nd minute when another replacement defender in Garcia strode onto Lirola’s cross and bounced a first-time finish over the goalkeeper and into the far corner.

The drama was not finished, however, as Cherki bundled in a cross at the near post to seemingly ensure Pierre Sage’s side would share the spoils. Rowe then stole the show for Marseille as he drove forward from the left wing, beat two defenders and thrashed the ball across Perri and inside the far post.

Monaco keep pace

Monaco saw off a battling Le Havre 3-1 to preserve their unbeaten record. The Principality side backed up their impressive midweek victory in the Champions League against Barcelona by winning their fourth game in five league outings this term.

Strikes in quick succession midway through the second half by Eliesse Ben Seghir and Folarin Balogun ensured Monaco claimed all three points, after Le Havre’s Daler Kuzyaev had cancelled out Jordan Teze’s early opener.

"I’m very pleased with the win, even if it wasn’t the best game of the season,” said Monaco coach Adi Huetter. Dutch right-back Teze gave the home side the lead inside 10 minutes, before Kuzyaev got the equaliser with an outside-of-the-foot finish that crept into the far corner.

Rested after his exploits midweek, rising star Ben Seghir restored Monaco’s lead with a moment of individual inspiration in the 66th minute. Receiving the ball 25 yards from goal, he advanced on the packed defence and shaped the ball beyond the goalkeeper with his right foot from 25 yards. Balogun wrapped up the points four minutes later when he swept home from George Ilenikhena’s pass. — AFP