Marseille 1-1 Montpellier: Hosts miss the chance to cut PSG’s lead to just four points in Ligue 1 after ex-Arsenal star wins a point for Igor Tudor’s side following Arnaud Nordin’s opener for the visitors
- A draw for Marseille sees them stuck on 60 points, six behind leaders PSG
- There was a lengthy stoppage as Boubakar Kouyate received medical attention
- Alexis Sanchez and Matteo Guendouzi lead Marseille’s Premier League cast-offs
Marseille missed the chance to put pressure on Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain after being held at home by in-form Montpellier in a lack-lustre 1-1 draw on Friday.
Matteo Guendouzi’s first-half penalty was all Marseille had to show for dominating both possession and chances as the visitors maintained their seven-game unbeaten run since the return of Michel Der Zakarian in February.
Marseille’s draw means PSG can move nine points clear on Sunday with a win at home over Lyon in their game in hand.
The visitors made a better start and Arnaud Nordin fired Montpellier ahead in the 12th minute, though he had to wait for a VAR check to celebrate after he was initially flagged erroneously for offside.
Wahbi Khazri made a fine turn to elude Guendouzi and set off on a run that sucked in four Marseille defenders before he played the ball to Elye Wahi, who sent it straight on to Nordin for the French forward’s fifth league goal.
Arnaud Nordin opened the scoring for the visitors after a good piece of skill from Wahbi Khazri
Matteo Guendouzi drew the hosts level just before half-time with a well-dispatched penalty
There was a lengthy holdup for treatment to Montpellier defender Boubakar Kouyaté after a clash of heads, with the defender then taken off on a stretcher and replaced by Mamadou Sakho.
Sakho conceded the penalty for handball – another VAR call – before the break, with Guendouzi duly equalising from the spot in the 44th minute to draw the hosts level on the cusp of half-time.
Marseille went on to have more shots at goal, but the biggest chance fell to Khazri midway through the second half when he swept his shot narrowly wide of the left post.
Marseille coach Igor Tudor sent on Dimitri Payet for the final quarter of an hour but there was no way through the well-organised Montpellier defense. Tudor’s team hasn’t won at home in the league since January.
Montpellier, who were only two points clear of the relegation zone when ‘Der Zak’ returned, moved 14 points above the drop ahead of the 29th round of fixtures in the French top-flight.