Paris: Memphis Depay scored in the last minute of a frantic match to give Lyon a 3-2 win at third-placed Marseille that keeps alive their chances of Champions League next season.
In the fight for a Champions League play-off spot, fourth-placed Lyon closed the gap on Marseille to two points with eight games left. Monaco are seven points ahead of Marseille in second spot.
The match at Stade Velodrome ended with players pushing and shoving after the final whistle. Lyon defender Marcelo then mockingly brandished a Lyon jersey in front of Marseille’s players as they were walking off. It sparked a further melee, which took more than a minute before security officials brought it under control. Several players from both sides tried to get at each other, rather than walking away when they had the chance.
It was the latest volatile incident in the French league.
On Thursday, several police officers were injured after clashes with Lyon fans before a Europa League game against CSKA Moscow.
This followed on from a mass pitch invasion by angry fans of struggling Lille on March 10, when about 200 fans charged onto the pitch to confront players after a home draw with Montpellier.
The acrimony continued on Sunday.
As the players walked back through the tunnel to the dressing rooms, Marseille centre-back Adil Rami had to be held back as he launched himself at Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda also had to be pushed away moments later as he sought to back Rami up.
“When I see that it just makes me sad,” said Lyon defender Jeremy Morel, who formerly played for Marseille. “This isn’t even about football. I think we’ve really had enough of this, we don’t need it.”
Dani Alves took Paris Saint-Germain a step closer to the French title, scoring his first league goal of the season with a late header as PSG won 2-1 at Nice.
The 34-year-old Brazil defender met midfielder Adrien Rabiot’s astute curling pass with a powerful header into the bottom right corner in the 82nd minute.
PSG are 17 points clear of defending champions Monaco and almost certain to win their fifth title in six seasons. PSG have seven games left and Monaco have eight.
