10-man Marseille fall to Gomis-inspired Lyon

MARSEILLE, France (AFP) –

Lyon’s French forward Bafetimbi Gomis celebrates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match Olympique of Marseille (OM) versus Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille. Marseille won 4-1.

Lyon reclaimed possession of the Ligue 1 summit on Wednesday with a rousing 4-1 win at Marseille with Bafetimbi Gomis netting a treble.

The trigger-happy France international was at the heart of Marseille’s miserable night, bagging a first half double before adding a third late on with Steed Malbranque also getting on the scoresheet.

Marseille played the last 10 minutes a man down when Rod Fanni was sent packing after a dangerous foul on Mouhamadou Dabo.

Lyon manager Remi Garde admitted he was proud of the way his players bounced from a lacklustre defeat to Toulouse at the weekend.

“What they couldn’t do three days ago in Toulouse, they did tonight in Marseille,” he said. “I think we desereved it, we caused Marseille a lot of problems.”

He was also full of praise for hat-trick man Bafetimbi Gomis.

Lyon’s Steed Malbranque (R) is congratulated by his teammate Alexandre Lacazette (L) after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match Olympique of Marseille (OM) versus Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille. Marseille won 4-1.

“He could even have had a fourth if it hadn’t been for a good save from Mandanda,” Garde said. “He was helped by a good team effort, which we need to repeat next time out.”

Lyon’s emphatic win scuppered Marseille’s own ambitions of topping the table, Didier Deschamps’ men slipping a place to third after this first home defeat of the season.

PSG, above Marseille on goal difference, are now two points adrift of Remi Garde’s Lyon who supplied the perfect riposte after last weekend’s tame 3-0 reverse at Toulouse.

The game though was fortunate to go ahead.

Rescheduled from last month because of bad weather it was in danger of being called off for a second time after torrential rain in Marseille cast doubt on whether the Velodrome pitch was fit for purpose.

Happily for former multiple champions Lyon it was given the all-clear by referee Clement Trupin’s pre-match inspection.

The visitors enjoyed the best possible start when Gomis converted a fourth minute penalty after he was felled in the box by Marseille keeper Steve Mandanda.

France international Gomis made no mistake with the spot kick, slamming the ball right-footed into the top left corner.

On the quarter of an hour Marseille forward Jordan Ayew’s close range header was denied by the sharp reflexes of Lyon keeper Remi Vercoutre.

Lyon doubled their advantage with nine minutes of the first half remaining, as Gomis doubled up, the 27-year-old shooting this time left-footed from the centre of the box after picking up a cross from Dabo.

Deschamps replaced Joey Barton with Loic Remy at the break in a bid to change his side’s fortunes but it was Lyon who put the game to bed three minutes after the restart.

Belgian-born former Premier League based winger Malbranque was responsible for deepening Marseille’s plight, volleying home a superb cross from Alexandre Lacazette.

Mandanda did well to save Lacazette’s well struck 69th minute but shortly after Gomis got his hat-trick, a right-footed shot off a cross from Anthony Reveillere.

That was the striker’s ninth league goal of the campaign.

Second-half substitute Remy pulled one back for Marseille but with only 13 minutes left on the clock the damage had already been done.