Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang delivered a remarkable late double to hand Olympique de Marseille a dramatic 3-2 victory over Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday evening, capping off an action-packed Ligue 1 Matchday 24. The veteran striker struck in the 81st minute and again deep into stoppage time to overturn a Lyon lead and send the home crowd into raptures. Earlier on the same matchday, Paris Saint-Germain had cemented their position at the summit with a 1-0 win at Le Havre on Saturday, courtesy of a Bradley Barcola header in the 37th minute.
The Olympico was a contest full of drama from the first whistle. Corentin Tolisso gave Lyon an early advantage, firing home after just three minutes to stun the Velodrome. Marseille responded after the break through Igor Paixao, who equalized in the 52nd minute to level the contest. However, young Lyon talent Remi Himbert restored the visitors' lead in the 76th minute, and it appeared the three points were heading back to Lyon. Aubameyang had other ideas, though, pulling Marseille level in the 81st minute before slamming home the winner in the 91st minute to seal a thrilling comeback victory.
Sunday's earlier fixtures delivered their own share of drama. Paris FC marked Antoine Kombouare's first match in charge with a 1-0 victory over OGC Nice, as Marshall Munetsi powered home the only goal in the 26th minute after Nice goalkeeper Maxime Dupe had blocked an initial effort. Lorient and AJ Auxerre played out a breathless 2-2 draw at the Stade du Moustoir, with Bamba Dieng scoring twice for the hosts in the 19th and 29th minutes after Marvin Senaya had opened the scoring for Auxerre inside the first 60 seconds. Josue Casimir also netted for the visitors on 24 minutes in a frantic opening half-hour.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Stade Brestois secured a 1-0 victory at Metz thanks to a Ludovic Ajorque strike in the 69th minute, while Lille left it late to beat Nantes 1-0 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Nathan Ngoy headed home a dramatic winner four minutes into stoppage time from a Thomas Meunier cross to seal all three points for the Lillois. On Saturday, AS Monaco had cruised past Angers 2-0 with goals from Folarin Balogun and Simon Adingra in the 57th and 62nd minutes, while Stade Rennais edged Toulouse 1-0 thanks to Arnaud Nordin's first goal for the club on 27 minutes. The matchday had opened on Friday with RC Strasbourg and RC Lens sharing a 1-1 draw, as Joaquin Panichelli and Mamadou Sangare traded strikes.
With all nine fixtures complete, PSG now hold a commanding four-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table with 57 points from 24 matches. Lens remain their closest challengers on 53 points, while Lyon sit third on 45 despite Sunday's defeat. Marseille climbed to fourth with 40 points, level with Lille and Rennes, who also both sit on 40. Monaco occupy seventh place on 37 points. At the bottom, Metz remain rooted to the foot of the table on just 13 points after 24 matches, with Nantes on 17 and Auxerre on 18 also in the relegation places.
The title race appears increasingly to be a two-horse affair between PSG and Lens, though Lyon's inconsistency has opened the door for Marseille and Lille to close the gap on the Champions League qualification places. Marseille's comeback victory will provide a significant morale boost, with Aubameyang proving once again that his clinical finishing remains a decisive asset at the highest level. For Lyon, the late collapse will be deeply frustrating after they had taken the lead twice during the contest.
Matchday 25 is set to deliver another blockbuster round of fixtures, with a highly anticipated showdown between PSG and Monaco at the Parc des Princes on March 6. Lens will look to keep the pressure on the leaders, while Marseille will aim to build on their dramatic triumph. At the other end of the table, Metz, Nantes, and Auxerre face an increasingly desperate battle to avoid the drop as the season enters its decisive phase.
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