Ghana international Andre Ayew was on the losing side as Olympique de Marseille welcomed Paris Saint-Germain to the Stade Velodrome in the biggest match of the Ligue 1 season.
However, despite taking the lead twice, Marseille were to fall short as PSG ran out 3-2 winners.
There was controversy ahead of the match when the Paris team bus was attacked, with a golf ball being thrown at Zlatan Ibrahimovic and nearly striking the Swedish superstar.
The tempestuous atmosphere off the pitch was reflected in the action on it, and Marcelo Bielsa’s side—known for their intensity—came out of the blocks with an immense desire to make an impact.
It took them half an hour to take the lead. The crowd created an immense atmosphere, and barely gave an inch to the visiting players who were pelted with scrunched up paper and distracted by a laser beam.
Andre-Pierre Gignac, playing with the desperation of a man anxious to lift his first French title, played a sharp one-two with Dimitri Payet, meeting the French international’s glorious cross with a superb header.
However, minutes later Paris equalised when Blaise Matuidi—taking matters into his own hands—sent a rasping shot past Steve Mandanda.
Gignac ensured that OM ended the first half on top; the former France striker drove into the space vacated by David Luiz, who was taken off injured before Matuidi’s equaliser and fired past Salvatore Sirigu.
However, it was PSG who started the second-half the stronger. Marquinhos tipped a Zlatan free kick beyond Steve Mandanda, before Jeremy Morel, under pressure from Ibrahimovic, was pressured into a mistake. The former Lorient defender sprawled to clear the ball, but could only touch it past his own keeper.
Paris held on, prompting furious scenes at the final whistle.
Both Gignac and Ayew were shown red cards after the final whistle, and the Ghanaian, who was particularly fired up throughout the contest, walked a fine line with the officials.
His emotional, prickly performance may be remembered as Ayew’s last major outing in an OM shirt—the Black Star’s future remains undecided, although having refused to sign a new contract at the Velodrome, it looks unlikely that he will remain a Phoceen beyond the summer.
The match leaves Marseille in third place in the Ligue 1 table, four points behind Lyon and five behind PSG.
