Lyon hold Marseille in match marred by crowd trouble

Game of the week in Ligue one will see Lyon travel to the Velodrome to take on Marseille.

Lyon were leading 1-0 through a first-half penalty from Alexandre Lacazette when play was interrupted. Their players are already under tremendous pressure and fatigue can be a problem in this southern derby, so odds of 6/5 offered by bet365 Sports on Marseille to prevail are tempting.

“The club will assume its responsibilities regarding the two or three beer bottles that were thrown on to the field”, OM president Vincent Labrune told Canal Plus. But we all have to be sensible.

An effigy of the player was hanged behind the Marseille goal, and he was repeatedly sent sprawling to turf by a number of bone-crunching tackles. “I put all my emotions aside”.

Karim Rekik equalised with a bullet header shortly after the game was restarted.

The Lyon playmaker brushed off the jeers and missiles from the crowd as well as a series of heavy challenges and played a key role in the visitors taking a 25th-minute lead.

Heading into the south-coast encounter Lacazette was still seeking his first goal of the season and got an opportunity to notch it from the penalty spot when Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda brought him down.

And the France global could easily have scored his second moments later but, after the Marseille defence stepped up, the unmarked Lyon No. 10 saw his effort come back off the post.

Marseille had Romain Alessandrini sent off for a reckless challenge from behind on Valbuena.

St Etienne moved up to third on 13 points with a 2-0 home win against Nantes – Jonathan Bamba and Robert Beric on target.

Monaco’s indifferent start to the season continued as the principality side found themselves two goals down to Lorient inside 20 minutes.

Almamy Toure and Thomas Lemar dragged Monaco back into the tie but Moukandjo’s strike ultimately swung it in favour of Sylvain Ripoli’s men.