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 offense 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 defense, 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 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 canceled 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 equalizer 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 defense 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.

BARCELONA: Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha struck twice each as La Liga leaders Barcelona romped to a 5-1 win at Villarreal on Sunday but were left fearing a “huge” knee injury to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Atletico Madrid, fourth, were held to a 1-1 draw at city rivals Rayo Vallecano as Conor Gallagher netted his second goal for the Rojiblancos.
Barcelona’s sixth league triumph in six games was marred by Ter Stegen being taken off on a stretcher after falling awkwardly having collected a cross, with early reports suggesting he could miss the rest of the season.
“I think it will be a huge injury, when he laid down on the field... you can see it directly,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick told DAZN.
Lewandowski netted Barcelona’s first two goals and later missed a penalty in a thoroughly entertaining battle on Spain’s east coast at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica.
Ayoze Perez pulled his team back into the game shortly before half-time and the previously unbeaten hosts had two goals disallowed, with Pablo Torre and Raphinha’s strikes cementing Barcelona’s victory.
After second-placed Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol 4-1 on Saturday the Catalans were able to restore a four-point lead on the champions.
“It’s very important for us that we played a game away from home, we scored five goals and in the end we have three points,” said Lewandowski.
“In the end it doesn’t matter how, as long as we win that’s perfect.”
Flick gave Eric Garcia another start in defensive midfield despite his early red card against Monaco in the Champions League midweek defeat.
The German coach also started reserve team players Gerard Martin and Sergi Dominguez, as well as playmaker Torre in place of the injured Dani Olmo.
Teenage star Lamine Yamal hit the post early on before Lewandowski slotted home in the 20th minute after Torre slipped him in.
Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Conde did well to keep out a bundled effort from the Polish striker but Lewandowski pounced after 35 minutes for his second.
Conde saved Garcia’s header well but the former Bayern Munich hitman converted the rebound with an acrobatic finish from close range.
It was his sixth La Liga goal of the season, taking him two clear of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in Spain’s golden boot race.
Villarreal were frequently threatening on the counter and Perez gave them a lifeline after the electric Nicolas Pepe set him up.
Ter Stegen thwarted Pepe with a sensational save one-on-one before half-time but the German Barca captain was soon stricken as he fell badly after catching a corner before the break and was replaced by Inaki Pena.
Pepe finished brilliantly early in the second half but his effort was disallowed for a marginal offside call, and Yeremy Pino hit the bar with a header as Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side drove Barcelona back.
Torre extended Barca’s lead with a deflected strike from the edge of the box, a killer blow given Villarreal’s momentum.
Lewandowski hit the post from the spot after Eric Bailly scythed down Yamal and Villarreal’s Thierno Barry had a goal ruled out for offside.
Raphinha ended any hopes of a home comeback, first with a deflected shot and then finishing after a superb Yamal pass left him with just Conde to beat.
“(Ter Stegen) is a very special and important person in the dressing room, this victory is 100 percent for him,” Raphinha told DAZN.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois wrote Ter Stegen a message on social media platform X.
“It hurt me a lot to see you leave the pitch like that,” wrote the Belgian stopper.
“I hope you can recover soon and we see you again in goal.”
In a Madrid derby clash Diego Simeone’s unbeaten Atletico could not find a way past Rayo Vallecano.
Rayo’s Isi Palazon slammed home from close range after 35 minutes and the goal was eventually given after initially being ruled offside.
However Gallagher finished neatly from the edge of the box early in the second half when Alexander Sorloth fed the England international.
“(At half-time Simeone) told us we all had to run, these days anyone who is not running here cannot play,” Atletico captain Koke told Movistar.
“We had chances to get the winner but it wasn’t to be.”
Athletic Bilbao overtook Atletico to move into third with a 3-1 win against Celta Vigo.