Controversial equaliser earns Marseille draw

Marseille stumbled at home once again on Sunday, benefiting from a goal that should not have stood to draw 2-2 with Montpellier at the Stade Velodrome in Ligue 1.

Montpellier were in front twice thanks to a brace by Chad striker Casimir Ninga either side of a goal against his old club by Remy Cabella.

But Marseille ensured a share of the spoils when Bouna Sarr arrived to convert a Georges-Kevin Nkoudou ball held up from the byline to the left of the box.

It looked as if Nkoudou had done well to get to the ball before it crossed the line but replays later confirmed that no goal should have been awarded and a goal-kick given.

It was a frustrating result for both sides, with Marseille still stuck in mid-table after seeing their run without a home league win extended to six games.

"The matches and press conferences repeat themselves, the same questions keep resurfacing," said Marseille coach Michel.
"We're allowing our opponents too much comfort. We could talk about the situation for a long time, how to play at home, but it's difficult to solve."

Montpellier at least moved a point clear of the bottom three but were left to wonder what might have been.

However, coach Rolland Courbis was reluctant to blame the officials over Sarr's controversial equaliser.

"If I'm in their shoes I'd make the same mistakes because it's impossible with the system we had to see if the ball went out.

"If we were able to extend the (goal-line technology) system we could find out if it's a corner, goal kick or if the ball is out," he added.
Ninga impressed with two goals in a 4-2 win at Lyon last week and he put the visitors ahead just after the half-hour mark after being brilliantly set up by Ryad Boudebouz.

Cabella, the former Montpellier player now on loan at OM from Newcastle United, levelled early in the second half from close range but Ninga pounced on a Karim Rekik error to restore the away side's advantage before Sarr made it 2-2.

Elsewhere, Saint-Etienne's patchy form continued as they needed Valentin Eysseric's 78th-minute penalty to earn a 1-1 draw at home to Rennes, who had taken a first-half lead through Pedro Henrique.

Bordeaux climbed up five places to 12th as Cedric Yambere's 62nd-minute goal gave them a 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Guingamp.

Paris Saint-Germain are a huge 15 points clear at the summit and still unbeaten domestically this season after Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice in a 3-0 win at Nice on Friday.

Angers are up to second thanks to a 2-0 win against crisis-hit Lyon on Saturday in the last Ligue 1 match at the Stade de Gerland as Cheikh N'Doye got both goals.

Caen are third after losing 2-1 at home to a resurgent Lille, while Monaco leapfrogged Lyon into fourth as Lacina Traore's brace secured a 2-1 victory at third-bottom Bastia.
Source: AFP