FOOTBALL NEWS FROM LIGUE 1
Marseille Rally Earns Draw
Marseille's highly-rated midfielder Florian Thauvin scored a late equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw against Lyon at the Stade Gerland.
The hosts raced into a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Alexandre Lacazette and Bafetimbi Gomis before Andre-Pierre Gignac pulled one back on the stroke of half-time leaving the France Under-21 star to steal the headlines.
The result leaves Jose Anigo's side sixth in the Ligue 1 table as they ended a run of three defeats in all competitions, while Lyon moved up a spot into 10th as they collected five points from their past three league matches.
Steve Mandanda was the first keeper to be called into action and, with just 10 minutes on the clock, the France international did superbly well to keep out Lacazette's effort after Clement Grenier had cleverly chipped him in.
The same players came head-to-head again five minutes later but this time the outcome was quite different as Lyon took an early lead.
Manadanda failed to collect a Gueida Fofana cross before Yoann Gourcuff headed the ball back across goal from the back post for Lacazette to finish from close range.
Marseille were struggling to get a foothold in the game and Dimitri Payet's harmless effort straight at Remi Vercoutre was all OM could muster with half an hour played.
However, the visitors almost found an equaliser when Jordan Ayew showed great improvisation inside the area with a backheel which almost caught out Vercoutre but Lyon's number one made a smart reaction save.
With half-time fast approaching, the hosts capitalised on Vercoutre's efforts and doubled their lead when Henri Bedimo's pass released Gomis and he finished coolly to leave Manadanda helpless.
However, Marseille were handed a way back into the game with less than 60 seconds to play in the first half when Gignac tried his luck with a speculative effort from distance that crept past Vercoutre and nestled in the back of the net.
With both sides unchanged at the restart, chances on goal continued to come when Gomis was guilty of missing a glorious chance to reclaim a two-goal lead for Lyon but he fired straight at Mandanda with the goal at his mercy.
Ellie Baup brought on Gianni Imbula shortly before the hour mark in an effort to control midfield but it was Lyon who went close again soon after when Lacazette's thunderbolt from distance shaved the top of Mandanda's crossbar.
Gignac almost caught Vercoutre out with a cross towards the near post as Marseille stepped up their search for an equaliser before Gourcuff took a tumble in the visitors area at the other end only for the referee to wave play-on to a chorus of boos.
However, moments later Baup's men pulled themselves level when Thauvin's free-kick from out wide nicked off the head of Bedimo in the wall before flying past an outstretched Vercoutre.
The young goalscorer almost added his second of the game in a matter of minutes but his effort ended up the wrong side of the left post after Benjamin Mendy picked him out in the area.
Both sides had chances to steal all three points but Lyon's Grenier and Yassine Benzia were denied by a superb Mandanda double save before Thauvin saw a header well saved at the other end by Vercoutre.
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Marseille's highly-rated midfielder Florian Thauvin scored a late equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw against Lyon at the Stade Gerland.The hosts raced into a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Alexandre Lacazette and Bafetimbi Gomis before Andre-Pierre Gignac pulled one back on the stroke of half-time leaving the France Under-21 star to steal the headlines.
The result leaves Jose Anigo's side sixth in the Ligue 1 table as they ended a run of three defeats in all competitions, while Lyon moved up a spot into 10th as they collected five points from their past three league matches.
Steve Mandanda was the first keeper to be called into action and, with just 10 minutes on the clock, the France international did superbly well to keep out Lacazette's effort after Clement Grenier had cleverly chipped him in.
The same players came head-to-head again five minutes later but this time the outcome was quite different as Lyon took an early lead.
Manadanda failed to collect a Gueida Fofana cross before Yoann Gourcuff headed the ball back across goal from the back post for Lacazette to finish from close range.
Marseille were struggling to get a foothold in the game and Dimitri Payet's harmless effort straight at Remi Vercoutre was all OM could muster with half an hour played.
However, the visitors almost found an equaliser when Jordan Ayew showed great improvisation inside the area with a backheel which almost caught out Vercoutre but Lyon's number one made a smart reaction save.
With half-time fast approaching, the hosts capitalised on Vercoutre's efforts and doubled their lead when Henri Bedimo's pass released Gomis and he finished coolly to leave Manadanda helpless.
However, Marseille were handed a way back into the game with less than 60 seconds to play in the first half when Gignac tried his luck with a speculative effort from distance that crept past Vercoutre and nestled in the back of the net.
With both sides unchanged at the restart, chances on goal continued to come when Gomis was guilty of missing a glorious chance to reclaim a two-goal lead for Lyon but he fired straight at Mandanda with the goal at his mercy.
Ellie Baup brought on Gianni Imbula shortly before the hour mark in an effort to control midfield but it was Lyon who went close again soon after when Lacazette's thunderbolt from distance shaved the top of Mandanda's crossbar.
Gignac almost caught Vercoutre out with a cross towards the near post as Marseille stepped up their search for an equaliser before Gourcuff took a tumble in the visitors area at the other end only for the referee to wave play-on to a chorus of boos.
However, moments later Baup's men pulled themselves level when Thauvin's free-kick from out wide nicked off the head of Bedimo in the wall before flying past an outstretched Vercoutre.
The young goalscorer almost added his second of the game in a matter of minutes but his effort ended up the wrong side of the left post after Benjamin Mendy picked him out in the area.
Both sides had chances to steal all three points but Lyon's Grenier and Yassine Benzia were denied by a superb Mandanda double save before Thauvin saw a header well saved at the other end by Vercoutre.