Marseille’s hopes of joining Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 table were dashed on Friday night as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by bottom-placed Angers. The match, which was marred by red cards for both teams in the first half, saw Marseille miss a number of chances against the only team yet to secure a win in the league.
The home side was given an early advantage when Angers’ Lilian Rao-Lisoa was sent off for a foul in the 26th minute. The full-back was initially shown a yellow card, but the referee reversed his decision to a red card after reviewing the incident using VAR. However, Marseille’s joy was short-lived. Neal Maupay, on loan from Everton, received two yellow cards within a space of three minutes, leaving Marseille with ten men on the pitch.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Marseille managed to take the lead six minutes into the second half through substitute Jonathan Rowe. The English forward showcased his impressive footwork inside the box and his low shot, which beat a host of Angers defenders, left the goalkeeper stranded. However, Angers drew level just six minutes later when Farid El Melali scored his first goal of the season with a beautifully executed free-kick.
The match remained tense and controversial until the final whistle. Marseille felt they should have been awarded a penalty for a handball and were left fuming after Michael Murillo’s late second goal was disallowed following a VAR review that detected a foul in the build-up. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Marseille’s frustration at their inability to capitalize on their opportunities was evident. The draw left them in third place in the Ligue 1 standings, a point behind Monaco and PSG.
