Ghana winger Andre Ayew missed a penalty but scored a brace for Olympique Marseille in their 2-0 humbling of Ajaccio in the French Ligue 1 on Saturday.
On Sunday, Kevin-Prince Boateng scored a hat-trick for Italian champions AC Milan Sunday in a 4-3 from-behind win snatched after hosts Lecce took a three-goal lead.
Ayew’s double gave an under-pressure Didier Deschamps some breathing space as they recovered a midweek 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Uefa Champions League.
He kept his composure after missing a penalty in the 20th minute to score on the half hour mark and four minutes after the interval.
Ayew hit a fine right foot shot from inside of the box on the 30th minute after being played through by the flick of his younger brother Jordan.
Ayew did not allow the visitors to settle for the second half before punishing them once again.
He steered a header home from a Mathieu Valbuena on 49 minutes.
The victory moves Marseille to 12th on the Ligue 1 table with 12 points.
In Italy Guillermo Giacomazzi, ex-Milan defender Massimo Oddo and Carlos Grossmueller scored for Lecce in the first-half, but the Ghana midfielder equalized within 17 minutes of coming on after the break and Mario Yepes secured the Devils' win.
'It was very important that we managed to win this game,' Boateng said. 'It is a very big day for me. I dedicate the goals to my little son. I scored for him.' Hosting the title holders did not daunt Lecce, who started off briskly and went one up on four minutes as Giacomazzi burst past Yepes to nod a left-flank free kick past Christian Abbiati.
The Devils' goalkeeper was in trouble again on 11 minutes, but managed a great deflection on a tight-angle shot from Christian Obodo.
A first telling effort from Milan came on 23 minutes with Robinho squaring for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had no room to manoeuvre in the crowded box.
Lecce kept threatening with their speed and struck again from the spot after Abbiati fumbled a catch on a corner kick and floored Daniele Corvia in the following scramble.
Oddo converted on the half hour, before Massimiliano Benassi made his first save on 34 minutes to slap a deflected drive from Antonio Nocerino.
The lacklustre guests were stunned again when Grossmueller on 37 minutes finished off with an easy flick a hammering action that again evidenced slowness and uncertainty from the Devils' defence.
Things changed after the break with the fielding of Boateng, who immediately forced a difficult save from the distance, missed by a hairsbreadth from a tight angle and found the net on 49 minutes, slamming under the bar.
Boateng fired again under the bar on 55 minutes, this time in the left corner, and on 63 completed his show aiming into the closest corner after a corner kick action.
With Lecce on the ropes, Nocerino fired high before Yepes competed the comeback with seven minutes left, nodding home a delicious cross from Antonio Cassano. Milan are two points behind Juventus, who Saturday drew 2-2 at home and retained a one-point lead on Udinese. The Udine side can go alone at the top when they welcome promoted Novara later Sunday. Fiorentina also drew 2-2 at home with minnows Catania.
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