Daily Times

PARIS: Europa League finalists Olympique de Marseille showed their best and worst sides as they threw away a two-goal lead and had Steve Mandadnda sent off in a 3-3 draw at En Avant Guingamp on Friday, damaging their chances of finishing second in Ligue 1. OM struck early through Valere Germain and Florian Thauvin but Guingamp hit back with goals Clement Grenier either side of the break before going ahead from a Jimmy Briand penalty after visiting keeper Mandanda was sent off in the 66th minute. Thauvin rescued a point nine minutes from time but the result left fourth-placed Marseille, who take on Atletico Madrid in Lyon on Wednesday, with 74 points and one game left, a point off Olympique Lyonnais and behind Monaco on goal difference.

Lyon and Monaco also each have a game in hand in the race for a top-three finish and Champions League qualification. The top two go straight into the group stage while the third-placed team enter the third qualifying round. Marseille were without their inspirational captain Dimitri Payet, who was rested because of a minor muscle problem as coach Rudi Garcia looks ahead to the Europa league final. Marseille got off to a brilliant start after just two minutes as Germain headed home a cross from Thauvin, who himself made it 2-0 in the 14th with a header from a Lucas Ocampos pass. The hosts reduced the arrears three minutes before the interval when Grenier poked the ball home after Briand’s shot bounced off the bar into his path. Guingamp levelled seven minutes into the second half, Grenier converting a penalty after a Ocampos handball in the area. Things then got worse for the visitors when Mandanda brought down Briand and was shown a straight red card. The 32-year-old ex-France forward Briand beat replacement keeper Yohan Pele from the spot in the 70th before Thauvin levelled when he latched onto a Bouna Sarr cross in the 81st.

Published in Daily Times, May 13^th 2018.