PARIS (AP) – Leaders Paris Saint-Germain gave Marseille a lesson in clinical soccer on Sunday in the French league's Le Classique, despite playing more than half the games with 10 men. defeated 2-0.
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several big saves after the interval as Marseille's forwards tried their best to make the most of Lucas Berardo's red card in the 39th minute.
PSG, who held a 12-point lead at the top, had just three shots on target, but scored twice in the second half with goals from Vicinha and Gonzalo Ramos.
Marseille, aiming for their first league win in over 12 years at home against PSG, controlled the early stages of the match and dominated the midfield against a useless PSG side. The hosts almost took the lead when Jordan Veretout hit the post and had a golden chance.
PSG had several chances before the interval, but Fabian Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele missed the target.
Berardo, who had already been scheduled to play, was given a red card after a VAR review for a last-man challenge near the halfway line, leaving PSG players furious and the team's mood unstable.
PSG took the lead in the 52nd minute when Vicinha scored Dembele on the right. The former Barcelona player crossed the ball to the Portuguese midfielder, who beat goalkeeper Pau López and fired a precise shot into the bottom left corner.
Despite heavy rain, Marseille tried to score an equalizer inside PSG's half. Coach Veretout thought he had leveled his team in the 58th minute, but his goal was disallowed for an offside position.
Marseille did not give up, with forwards Faris Mumbanya and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang forcing saves from Donnarumma. However, with five minutes remaining, Ramos sealed the victory for PSG with a quick counter-attack and an assist from Marco Asensio.
Matchups between PSG and Marseille grew in popularity in the 1990s, with the arrival of high-profile players such as Rudi Ferrer and George Weah igniting the rivalry. Marseille, the only French team to win the Champions League in 1993, have fallen far behind since PSG was bought by Qatari investors in 2011, but the game still stirs passion.
Brainstorming keeps pace
Forward Roman del Castillo scored a late goal to move Brest into second place and keep them on course for Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win over Lorient.
Brest, the surprise package of the French season, were left in tatters in the long run and relied on goalkeeper Marco Bizzotto to stay in the game.
With five minutes remaining, Del Castillo scored the winning goal with a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner off an assist from Camory Doumbia. This was his sixth goal of the season.
Bizzotto made a decisive save in the 90th minute, denying Darin Yongwa's header from close range.
Midfielder Bilal Brahimi received a straight red card in stoppage time for a dangerous tackle from behind, leaving Brest with 10 men.
The result moves Brest back into second place, one point ahead of Monaco, who beat Metz 5-2 on Saturday and leapfrogged the Brittany team.
The triumphant return of Combouare
Nantes coach Antoine Combouare watched his team beat Nice 2-1 in his first game as manager.
Combouare returned to Nantes earlier this month with a mission to avoid relegation.
His first appearance was a success and Nantes moved to within five points of the relegation zone. Matisse Ablin ended a six-month scoring drought to put Nantes in the lead, with Mostafa Mohamed scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot following Terem Moffi's equalizer.
Combouare also worked as a coach at other French clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain from 2009 to 2011. Kombuare was sacked by PSG in December 2011 following the team's purchase by Qatari owners earlier that year, and was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.
Montpellier also secured an important victory in the relegation battle with a 2-0 win over 15th-placed Le Havre with goals from Jourdan Ferri and Christopher Julien. Montpellier finished in 13th place, one point higher than Nantes. Clermont lost 3-0 to Toulouse and remained at the bottom of the table.
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