Greenwood scores four as Marseille routs Le Havre and takes command of Ligue 1

NICE, France (AP) — Mason Greenwood scored four goals as Marseille routed 10-man Le Havre 6-2 and leapfrogged bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 standings on Saturday.

The former Manchester United forward, who made a permanent transfer to Marseille in the 2024 summer, was unstoppable and guided his team to a fifth straight win.

After eight rounds, Marseille was one point above PSG, which was held to a home draw with Strasbourg on Friday.

Marseille was raining goals — 21 in eight matches — and finding defensive stability under coach Roberto De Zerbi.

“It was the perfect evening,” Marseille captain Leonardo Balerdi said.

After Le Havre defender Gautier Lloris was sent off for a voluntary handball in the area, Greenwood converted the tying penalty. Yassine Kechta had put visiting Le Havre ahead.

Greenwood added three more goals after the interval. He has been flourishing in Marseille and finished last season as the joint top scorer alongside Ousmane Dembelé with 21 goals, although the France star took the trophy because he scored less penalties than Greenwood.

Greenwood became the first Marseille player to score four goals in a Ligue 1 match since Jean-Pierre Papin in 1991, according to stats provider Opta.

Robinio Vaz and Amir Murillo added Marseille’s other goals, and Le Havre’s Aboulaye Touré reduced the deficit with the best goal of the evening, a left-foot volley from outside the box into the top corner.

Second straight loss for Lyon

Seven-time champion Lyon could have moved past PSG with a win at Nice but instead fell 3-2 despite dominating for long spells on the French Riviera.

The visitor quickly fell behind when Nice defender Melvin Bard connected with a fine cross by Sofiane Diop in the fifth minute.

Lyon controlled much of the first half and deservedly equalized near the half-hour mark through a header from Pavel Sulc.

Nice, however, made the most of its rare chances and regained the lead five minutes later as Diop turned from provider to scorer with a fine finish from a tight angle.

Lyon’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles had a penalty kick after halftime but his effort was saved by Nice’s Yehvann Diouf.

Hicham Boudaoui sealed the win with a strike in the 55th. Sulc pulled one back in added time for Lyon but it was not enough.

Nice ended a five-match winless streak across competitions and moved up to eighth, four points behind Lyon.

Balogun on target

U.S. forward Folarin Balogun scored his second league goal of the season for fifth-placed Monaco in a 1-1 draw at struggling Angers.

After both sides failed to muster a shot on target during the opening half, Balogun went on as a substitute in the 62nd, part of changes made by new Monaco coach Sébastien Pocognoli that paid off.

Balogun was set up on the edge of the area by a brilliant touch from another substitute, Takumi Minamino, then resisted a defender’s challenge and slotted a low shot home in the 72nd.

Monaco, however, could not hold onto the lead as 18-year-old center forward Sidiki Cherif scored his first Ligue 1 with four minutes left.

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