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Andre-Pierre Gignac scored a dramatic 93rd minute winner as Marseille extended their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to five points after defeating Caen 2-1 yesterday. |
The match appeared to be heading for a draw before Gignac drove home a loose ball from inside the box in the dying moments to take his league leading scoring tally to nine goals from nine matches.
It was also the seventh straight victory for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and puts them into a healthy position ahead of today’s showdown at the Parc des Princes between champions Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.
The hard earned victory under wet Normandy conditions lifted Marseille five points ahead of Bordeaux with Lille seven back and PSG eight adrift with both teams playing today.
Caen came into the match with the worst home record in the French top flight having already lost three times at their Stade Michel D’Ornano but they were unfortunate to suffer defeat after holding Marseille for much of the tie.
Togo international Alaixys Romao sent a glancing header that deflected in off the unfortunate Caen ‘keeper Remy Vercoutre with 15 minutes left to give Marseille the initiative but the lead only held up briefly.
Caen thought they had an equaliser one minute later when a free kick from the right flank was headed past Steve Mandanda by Damien Da Silva but the linesman ruled out the effort with a disputable offside decision.
But with six minutes left from a similar set-piece, Caen deservedly equalised when Gabon defender Yronda Musavu-King towered above the Marseille back four and planted a header past the static Mandanda.
Then came Gignac’s heroics after some sustained pressure from the visitors and three valuable points for Marseille in the title race. Former Lyon ‘keeper Vercoutre was the main reason Marseille were unable to open the scoring earlier as the 34-year-old pulled off a string of fine saves to deny the visitors.
Gignac was denied by the Caen number one while Ghanaian international Andre Ayew, Florian Thauvin and Dimitri Payet also peppered the home goal as Marseille fired in 12 first half shots.
Second-placed Bordeaux slumped to a surprise 1-0 defeat at Reims on Friday, their second defeat in nine outings.
PSG, fresh from the 3-2 victory over Barcelona in midweek Champions League action take on Monaco in today;s big match.
