Olympique Lyonnais 2-3 Olympique de Marseille: 10-man Marseille produce remarkable late show to defeat Lyon in five-goal thriller

Jonathan Rowe netted a dramatic winner in the 95th minute as 10-man Olympique de Marseille triumphed 3-2 in a thrilling Choc des Olympiques at Groupama Stadium, preserving Roberto De Zerbi’s unbeaten record in Ligue 1.

The Italian manager could not have envisioned a more favorable beginning to his tenure at Marseille, with his team being one of only four yet to suffer a defeat in the French top division prior to the match.

However, he would have been dismayed by defender Leonardo Balerdi's early dismissal, receiving a second yellow card within the first five minutes after a confrontation with Alexandre Lacazette.

Lyon quickly sought to capitalize on their numerical superiority, with Gift Orban's bicycle kick striking the crossbar, followed shortly by Gerónimo Rulli's intervention to thwart another attempt.

While the hosts-maintained control of possession, Marseille gradually began to assert themselves in the match after Corentin Tolisso rounded Rulli, only to have his goal-bound shot cleared.

Substitute Valentin Rongier tested Lucas Perri with a close-range effort before Tolisso made a crucial defensive play, clearing Elye Wahi’s shot off the line.

At the opposite end, Tolisso was again involved, heading a back-post cross that was handled by Rongier. A lengthy VAR review resulted in a penalty, but captain Lacazette, still seeking his first goal of the season, had his attempt saved.

Marseille had been the only team to lead at halftime in each of their Ligue 1 matches, yet given the first half's developments, the fans of Les Phoceens were likely content with the scoreline at the break.

Notably, none of those supporters were present in the stadium due to a league-imposed ban, which may have been a blessing in disguise as former Marseille player Duje Ćaleta-Car eventually broke the deadlock.

Clinton Mata showcased his skill by recovering an overhit cross, regaining possession and setting up Ćaleta-Car, who headed in his first league goal for Les Gones.

Lacazette had several opportunities to score his first goal of the season, yet he was unable to find the back of the net. Shortly after his substitution, the visitors managed to equalize against the flow of the match.

A defensive error permitted Pol Lirola to advance towards the goal, where he maintained his composure to delicately chip the ball over Perri, leveling the match with 20 minutes remaining.

Ernest Nuamah then narrowly missed the target as Lyon sought to regain their lead. However, astonishingly, it was the 10-man visitors who secured a late goal when Ulisses Garcia headed in Lirola’s precise cross.

Lyon believed they had salvaged a point when Rayan Cherki scored from close range during stoppage time, but substitute Rowe delivered a remarkable late strike to clinch victory for Marseille with his inaugural goal for the club.

De Zerbi celebrated on the pitch following Rowe's dramatic winner.

Consequently, Lyon experienced only their second defeat in seven Ligue 1 matches at the Groupama Stadium, marking their second loss in 16 home encounters against this opponent (W8, D7).

For Marseille, the three points are particularly gratifying under the circumstances, as they extend their winning streak on the road to four matches and ascend to second place in the table, tied on points with PSG.