Marseille beat Lens 3-1 on Saturday to remain inside touching distance of Ligue 1 table-toppers Paris Saint-Germain, whereas Lyon and Reims performed out a 1-1 stalemate.
Second-half strikes from Valentin Rongier, Luis Henrique and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ensured Marseille stay third, 9 factors behind PSG and three off Monaco in second spot.
After the highest two each gained on Friday, Marseille wanted to get again to successful methods with their journey to Lens following their stoop in kind earlier than the worldwide break and something aside from a win would have meant they trailed PSG by no less than 11 factors.
Following a flying begin to life beneath new coach Roberto De Zerbi, Marseille have been hit-and-miss in latest weeks, shedding two of the their final 5 within the league.
These got here within the type of a chastening 3-0 loss at residence to arch-rivals PSG in October after which within the final matchday earlier than the break, a shock 3-1 residence defeat to mid-table Auxerre.
De Zerbi dubbed Saturday’s win “a big response by way of (his aspect’s) character”.
“We managed to shake off that defeat to Auxerre, which actually damage us,” he added.
The Italian will likely be hoping his aspect additional show him proper subsequent week once they welcome second-placed Monaco to the Velodrome.
Lens regarded the extra threatening aspect within the first half with Marseille counting on goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli to maintain the match goalless going into half-time.
Nonetheless, it was the south-coast aspect that ultimately made the breakthrough 4 minutes into the second interval by Rongier.
Good centre-forward play by Neal Maupay arrange the possibility for the midfielder who provided a cool end one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
On 57 minutes, Luis Henrique doubled the guests’ lead with a rolled end from the right-hand aspect of the field after a swift counter-attack caught Lens on the break.
However all the things appeared to unravel for Marseille within the house of 5 minutes on the finish of the match.
– VAR drama –
Angelo Fulgini pulled one again for Lens within the eightieth minute, earlier than Remy Labeau Lascary thought he had grabbed a leveller on 85 minutes.
Nonetheless, the house supporters’ pleasure was lower brief when the referee determined after a VAR evaluate that there had been a foul within the build-up and the equaliser was disallowed.
Let off the hook, Marseille then sealed the three factors one minute from time when Hojbjerg drilled residence a fierce free-kick from the sting of the field — the set-piece stemming from the foul that precipitated Lens’ leveller to be dominated out.
Elsewhere, Lyon and Reims handed up the chance to go fourth with a 1-1 draw within the Champagne area.
“For us I feel it is two factors dropped,” Lyon captain Alexandre Lacazette informed DAZN.
“Our drawback this season has been beginning slowly within the second half and we paid for it once more right here,” the ex-Arsenal striker added.
Rayan Cherki gave Lyon the lead seven minutes earlier than the break however Oumar Diakite struck again for the hosts within the fifty fifth minute.
The outcome leaves Lyon provisionally degree on 19 factors with fourth-placed Lille, with Reims one level again in sixth.
Saint Etienne floor out a 1-0 win at residence to Montpellier in an encounter that might very properly have already got implications on the relegation battle come the top of the season.
Benjamin Bouchouari’s Forty seventh-minute strike despatched Les Verts as much as thirteenth place, whereas Montpellier stay rooted to the foot of the desk with simply two wins from 12 matches this time period.
On Sunday, Lille can transfer forward of Lyon once they welcome struggling Rennes and Strasbourg go to Good.
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