Olympique de Marseille secured a 2-1 victory over Lens in their Ligue 1 clash at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday, with substitute Keyliane Abdallah scoring the decisive goal late in the encounter.
Amine Gouiri gave Marseille an early lead in the second minute, finishing with his right foot to put the visitors ahead. Lens responded in the 20th minute when Florian Thauvin rose to head home a cross from Florian Sotoca, restoring parity at 1-1.
The first half saw both sides create opportunities, with Lens threatening to take the lead.
However, Marseille remained competitive, with Gouiri hitting the woodwork as the teams went into the break level.
Marseille increased their attacking pressure after the restart, dominating the second half with eight shots against Lens’ three.
Their persistence paid off in the 82nd minute when Abdallah, introduced four minutes earlier, fired a low shot into the right side of the net to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
Lens pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but struggled to convert their chances.
Marseille goalkeeper Jeffrey De Lange proved crucial, making five saves, including four from inside the box, to preserve his side’s advantage.
Despite having six shots on target compared to Marseille’s five, Lens were let down by their finishing.
The hosts missed four big chances, while Marseille converted two of their three clear opportunities.
Marseille dominated possession with 59 per cent and recorded 16 shots against Lens’ 13.
The visitors also won more corners, six to four, as they secured all three points away from home.
