Sunday, 22 September. Olympique Lyonnais 2 – Olympique de Marseille 3. Lyon came into the fifth matchday of Ligue 1 struggling in the bottom half of the table, desperate for an Olympico win against their second place opposition. Leonardo Balerdi gave Lyon a major helping hand by earning two yellow cards in the opening 5’ (fouls on Corentin Tolisso and Alexandre Lacazette) to leave Marseille a man down for the rest of the game.

Lyon took charge, with Gift Orban bicycling a left corner from Jordan Veretout onto the crossbar 10’ in. Lyon continued to dominate the first half, but were unable to score. Marseille had a few chances as well. Roberto De Zerbi brought on Valentin Rongier shortly after going a man down, and having cleared a Tolisso empty net shot away at his own end, Rongier very nearly put a Mason Greenwood cross in at the other end midway through the half. Rongier was not done; in stoppage time he blocked a Tolisso header inside the box with his arm to give up a VAR-awarded penalty. But Gerónimo Rulli saved Lacazette’s penalty attempt, with Lilian Brassier upsetting his follow-up attempt on the rebound.

Lyon continued to control the second half, and within the opening 10’ of the half had a goal. Clinton Mata recovered an overhit left corner on the right flank, and delivered it in for a Duje Ćaleta-Car header to open the scoring. With just over 20’ remaining, however, a Marseille breakaway allowed second half substitute Pol Lirola to chip both a tackling Nicólas Tagliafico and goalkeeper Lucas Perri to draw Marseille level. Then, with just under 10’ left in regulation, another Marseille breakaway saw right wing back Lirola cross to left wing back Ulisses Garcia (another second half substitute) who chipped Perri to put 10-man Marseille ahead.

Lyon did not give up, however, immediately bringing on Rayan Cherki. Georges Mikautadze had several dramatic chances before, in stoppage time, second-half sub Ernest Nuamah played Mata down the right edge of the box to cross in for Cherki, at the near post, who slipped in a well-deserved equalizer. But then, in the final minute of stoppage time, Jonathan Rowe, who had been brought on just a few minutes before Cherki, intercepted a pass out up the flank and drove to the top left edge of the box before releasing a rocket of a shot to give 10-man Marseille all 3 points. It was a stunning end to a stunning game.

Marseille would see out the calendar year wobbling between second and third. Lyon would go on to turn around their poor start by going unbeaten until their final game before the winter break, a loss to Paris Saint-Germain which nonetheless saw them holding on to fifth place.

Tactical Analysis: The Football Analyst (De Zerbi’s Marseille).