Ligue 1: Aubameyang rescues dramatic victory for Marseille with late double

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saved his best for the final moments in a spectacular comeback 3-2 victory for Olympique Marseille against Olympique Lyonnais in France’s Ligue 1 on Sunday evening.

After three matches without a victory dropped OM to fourth place on the table, the veteran striker scored twice in the final fifteen minutes to turn a 1-2 deficit into a 3-2 victory for the hosts at the Stade Vélodrome.

A dream start for the visitors was sparked by Real Madrid loanee Endrick, who set up Corentin Tolisso to put OL ahead inside three minutes.

After Brazilian forward Igor Paixão appeared to set OM back on track with his equalizer early in the second half, it was compatriot Endrick who once again provided the assist as Remi Himbert scored his first Ligue 1 goal to put the visitors back ahead in the 76th minute.

But Aubameyang reacted brilliantly to restore parity in the 81st minute. When a corner kick sailed over the penalty area, Paixão’s hopeful pass into the box found the Gabon national team legend for an instinctive finish to give hope to the home supporters.

And early in time added on, it was the 36-year-old who completed a full match by coming to life in the final stretch. Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri received a pass from Paixão on the left flank to dash to the end line and the 18-year-old’s cross was perfect for Aubameyang to apply a sliding finish for the crucial victory.

OM are now within two points of Sunday’s opponents in fourth, and their latest victory could inspire the club to re-discover their form under newly hired coach Habib Beye. After the former Senegalese international lost on his OM coaching debut away against Brest, his first victory as coach could be the moment that inspires a strong end to the season and qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

 

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For his part, Auba continues to drink from the Fountain of Youth. He has 12 goals and 10 assists in 31 matches across all competitions and continues to be a steady presence on an inconsistent squad.