Marseille 3 Lorient 5: Late collapse gives hosts fourth loss in a row

Marseille’s dwindling Ligue 1 title hopes appear to be all but over after a late collapse saw Lorient claim a thrilling 5-3 win on the south coast to inflict a fourth successive defeat.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men were already eight points adrift of Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain before kick-off and, although they raced back after initially falling 2-0 behind early on, two late goals from the visitors ensured another miserable day for the 10-time French champions.

Jordan Ayew, a product of Marseille’s academy, put Lorient ahead after just nine minutes with a fine 30-yard half-volley, before Francois Bellugou nodded in the second shortly after.

The elder of the two Ayew brothers – Andre – pulled one back for the hosts just before the hour mark and Jeremy Morel restored parity in the 67th minute, heading in from close range.

But Marseille proved their own worst enemies a minute later, as Romain Philippoteaux pounced on Nicolas N’Koulou’s loose pass, before charging forward to slot home and, although Michy Batshuayi brought the hosts level again with 14 minutes to play, there was still time for it all to go horribly wrong.

Jordan Ayew added his second with six minutes left, slamming home emphatically at the end of a solo run and Mathias Autret clinched victory soon after, lifting Lorient out of the bottom three in a remarkably close battle to avoid the final relegation spot.